Better Off Alone
by The Great Chicken Miasma
Summary: *COMPLETED!* Vivian can only wonder if she'll ever fit in anywhere. Often abused and put down by the world, she quietly laments in the darkness of her own fate... This is a moving tale about how everyone deserves love, friendship... and a second chance.
1. Abuse

_**Authoress' Notes: **I'm such a lazy bastard. I don't feel like updating any stories, I have homework to do, but I don't wanna do it, so I'm writing this fic instead. I'm screwed at school tomorrow, but procrastinating has gotten me this far and it'll keep working, too. And I don't anybody from the game, just my own characters, whoever they may be.

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_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 1: **Abuse_

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Vivian sat, huddled in the corner of a dark, damp region of Rogueport's East Side, a bleeding scar marking the side of her shadowed face. She raised a gloved hand and wiped the drops of blood from her left cheek, only for it to be soon replaced a by tear; a tear that stung her face upon trickling over her wound. Would her pain ever stop?

Cradling her injury, Vivian rose from her secluded punishment, her head hanging low in shame. Reluctantly, she made her way over to her older sisters, Beldam and Marilyn. She longed for their sympathy, their love, their care... but it wouldn't come, it never would. She was foolish to think otherwise.

Beldam stood with her arms crossed, small, but dominant over her younger siblings. She never showed either of them compasion and only expected perfection. Anything less would result in an awful punishment unfit for anyone, even the lowest criminal on the face of the Earth. Death would be considered a good thing when it came to her type of punishments.

"Well, Vivian? Have you learned your lesson yet?" Beldam growled.

Vivian's voice was breathless and frail, exhausted from the day's cruel trials. "...Yes, Sis..."

Beldam motioned for Vivian to stoop down to her level. Vivian obeyed, but her only reward was a hard slap across her already bruised face.

"You will address me by my **_NAME_**, not relations!" the elder spoke harshly.

Vivian felt like dropping dead right there. Why was Beldam so mean to her? She was tired of hurting, tired of suffering, tired of it all. She wanted it to stop. She **_needed_** it to stop.

"Well?" Beldam demanded.

"...Yes..." Vivian couldn't finish her sentence. She choked on her words and colasped to the ground in a heap, crying into her blood-stained hands.

**_"SILENCE!" _**Beldam commanded. Grabbing a rusty iron beam near some dirty trash cans, she beat Vivian with it several times. With each hit, Vivian cried and begged for her stop, but Beldam ignored her cries and continued on with her violent slaughter.

Marilyn stood off the side, wacthing Beldam deal with Vivian. She was the middle sister; sort of an oddball, compaired to Beldam and Vivian. Some labeled Marilyn as either the strong, silent type, or a complete idiot, unable to give anyone information or an opinion. On the other hand, Marilyn was actually very smart; she just lacked a decent vocabulary, that's all.

Satisfied with Vivian's pleas for mercy, Beldam held the iron bar firmly in her grasp. It was now dripping with Vivian's blood and slighty bent from its usage.

Slowly rising to stand, Vivian panted in pain and anger at the same time. Her side ached and throbbed with each exhale of her lungs, sore for her screams of agony and her most recent punishment. Clutching her side with one hand, she held head with the other, pulling her hat down to further cover her face. She didn't want to show Beldam how scared she was, or how weak she seemed.

Beldam dropped the iron pole onto the cold, hard pavement with a loud clang. Traces of Vivian's blood seeped from the dented rod onto the uneven concrete. Vivian uneasily wacthed it slowly spread over the ground. She soon felt a warm substance spreading under her hand, as well. Removing her glove from her side, she saw more blood spill out. It wasn't a trickle anymore... Now it was actually flowing.

Without another word to Vivian, Beldam motioned for Marilyn to follow her. Marilyn slowly nodded and the two disappeared into the shadows, leaving Vivian to lean against an abandoned house in pain. Letting a shaky breath escape her bloody lips, she slowly sank to the ground, grasping her wound tightly.

She lowered her face for a second, then looked up to notice that Beldam and Marilyn had departed.With her sisters gone, a sigh of relief escaped her tender body. They would probably be away for about three hours, at the most.

The day was almost over and the sun had already began to set in the distance, painting the sky with soft samples ofred and orange. Vivian took a quick glance around her to make sure no one was nearby, then she slowly removed her hat, something that she was sworn never to do. Her eyes were colored a piercing red hue, but were tainted with innocence and naivete. Her eyes resembled that of a young child, barely able comprehend what was going on around in the world.

At last, she could finally rest... Beldam's means of punishment had become increasingly more brutal ever since she accused Vivian of losing the picture of this "Mario" character they were looking for. After losing to him in Boggly Woods, the chances of running into Mario again were pretty slim. Using the shoddy house as a support, Vivian carefully rose from her sitting position and made her way to the inn back in the middle of Rogueport.

Even though they had left without her knowing, Vivian knew Beldam and Marilyn were probably back in Twilight Town; it was their favorite place to relax, because of its dim darkness and shady complexions. It didn't matter where they were, as long as she wasn't with them...

Arriving at the inn, Vivian was hesitant at even coming in through the door. There weren't that many people around, but they all seemed so rough-looking. The few people at the bar were actually very noisy, so Vivian chose to sneak in, unnoticed.

Getting upstairs, Vivian decided now was a good time to put her hat back on, so she did. Fortunately, there were only two Toads around; an old male and a young female, and two very relaxing-looking beds.

Going over to the female Toad, who was busy putting up blankets, she decided to see if she could spend the night.

"Sure. It'll be 5 coins a night. Want to stay?" the innkeeper asked.

Vivian was silent for a moment, then whispered. "I'm sorry... I don't have any money..."

"No money? Oh, well, that's going to be a problem..." the innkeeper stated, putting away the last of the extra blankets. Turning to face Vivian, she saw she scars and blood stains on her. "Oh, dear!"

Vivian quickly perked up, slightly startled at the innkeeper's sudden outburst. "What? ...Oh, I'm sorry... I'll leave, if you want me to..."

"No, no, no! Poor thing! You look awful!" She grabbed a blanket and tossed it over Vivian's back. "You can stay for free until you get better! I insist!"

Going over to the bed, Vivian made herself comfortable between the freshly-washed covers. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept with a blanket.

The innkeeper soon came back in with a Jelly Ultra and placed it on Vivian's nightstand. "Here you go and don't worry about anything, okay? I'll take care of the bill until you're better."

Snuggling into bed, Vivian only nodded. Just as the moon was being to rise outside, sleep soon overtook her and she was at peace...

_As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was always better off alone..._

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Authoress' Notes: **Bleh, this turned out to be far more depressing than I had hoped for. Oops? Okay, okay. I really don't think Beldam would go THAT far, but it's likely. I might continue, I might not; Depends on what Reviews I get._


	2. Acquaintances

_**Authoress' Notes:** Giyah! Damn! I'm sorry for taking so long, but I really want to keep this story interesting, so it took me about a week to write this!

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_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 2**: Acquaintances

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The sun peeked over the hills in the distance and through the window on the Rougeport Inn, shining brightly against the wall. Vivian sat upstraight in her bed, asleep. Because of her posture and her limber frame, she was able to sleep standing up and without ever having to relax all at once. The blanket she had wrapped around herself hung loosely off her shoulders, slowly easing off the bed and onto the floor, as Vivian was no longer clutching onto it. As soon as it hit the floor, Vivian sat up, alarmed, and rubbed her face in exhaustion.

Walking in, the innkeeper smiled at Vivian. "Awake already? Why, it's barely 6:00! An early bird, yes?"

"Six..." Vivian mumbled to herself, not fully awake.

"Like I said last night, don't worry about a thing. You don't have to leave so soon, if that's what you're thinking," the innkeeper informed Vivian.

Suddenly, without any warning, Vivian snapped awake in horror. "**_SIX?_** In the **_morning?"_**

The Toad innkeeper made a face, shocked by her outburst. "Yes, is that a problem?"

"Oh no... Beldam's going to kill me..." Vivian panicked. Grabbing the Jelly Ultra on the nightstand, she rushed towards the stairs, running into a bewildered Toadsworth on the way down.

Toadsworth stumbled over a step, shaking his cane at the fleeing Vivian. "I say! Where's your respect for the elderly these days? I could've broken my hip!"

Making her way to the dark alley behind the inn, Vivian pulled herself into the shadows, not leaving even a small trace of herself behind. When Vivian was consumed in her own obscurity, she became a part of it. A difficult process to explain, but it was one of the special powers that came along with being a Shadow Siren. Vivian felt safer when she was in the dark, anyway, so it suited her just fine. Moving through the dark abyss of her own power, Vivian soon reemerged in the gloomy town, ready to face Beldam's anger.

Seeing her older sisters over in the grass, Vivian sighed and unwillingly went over.

Beldam help up a strange grenade-shaped object and laughed. "This is it, Marilyn! I have finally come up with the perfect plan to destroy this 'Mario' and take his Crystal Stars!"

Marilyn nodded. "Guh!"

"Um... Beldam… sorry I'm so late..." Vivian whimpered quietly.

Beldam frowned at the young Siren. "Yes... well, luckily for you, I'm in a good mood today, so don't do anything stupid to screw this up!"

Vivian breathed in relief. A scolding from Beldam was very rare, so she really must've been feeling good about something.

"Now, my lovely Marilyn and not-so lovely Vivian, listen to my plan, for it flawless!" Beldam boasted, carefully handling the grenade.

"Guh?" Marilyn asked.

"Well, Marilyn, I've decided I'm finally going to put Vivian to a use for a change," Beldam said, glaring at her baby sister.

Vivian backed away. "What do you mean?"

"Instead of chasing this guy all over the Mushroom Kingdom like a bunch of idiots, I'm going to penetrate Mario's defenses from the inside out! So, Vivian, I want you to join up with Mario and stay with him for a while. Learn his strengths, his weaknesses, everything! Then, when he gets all seven Crystal, Marilyn and I will move in for the kill," Beldam explained.

"But... what if he doesn't trust me? He knows we want his map and the Stars... What if he attacks me? I'll be outnumbered!" Vivian asked.

"That's why I'm using you for this; if something goes array, at least I won't lose anything important!" the leader spat.

Vivian hung her head and sighed, her feelings hurt. "Yes, Beldam..."

At that moment, two X-Nauts chose that time to show up. One was an Elite X-Naut, a much stronger version of the average fleet of X-Nauts, while the other was a normal X-Naut, a regular foot soldier.

"Hey, you three!" the Elite X-Naut called.

The regular X-Naut waved his arms. "Yeah, dudettes! Look over here!"

"Shut up!" the skilled X-Naut knocked over his comrade.

Beldam looked at the experienced X-Naut soldier. "What? Can't you see we're busy?"

The Elite X-Naut made a face. "Too busy to see Sir Grodus? He wants to talk to you guys about the plan with Mario!"

"Yeah, man! The plan with Mario!" the X-Naut repeated.

The stronger X-Naut knocked the rookie over again. "Shut up! You're only here to _observe_, not _talk_!"

Beldam mumbled something inappropriate under her breath, turning to her sisters. "Our plan will have to wait for now, my siblings... We have other matters to deal with right now..."

"Yes, ma'am," Vivian nodded, feeling a little better that Beldam's intentions were sidetracked.

"Guh!" Marilyn responded.

Watching her sisters vanish into the shadows, Vivian followed them to the X-Naut base on the Moon. Seeing them disappear into ground, the novice X-Naut called after them.

"Hey, dudes! You're going the wrong way! The Moon's _up there_!" he shouted at the ground, pointing to the moon in sky.

"Shut it!" The Elite X-Naut stepped on the trainee's head.

Reemerging from the shadows inside the fortress, Beldam greeted the head X-Naut, Sir Grodus. "Yes, sir? You called for us?"

Grodus fingered his staff impatiently. "Yes. Why haven't you three disposed of this Mario yet? I though we had a deal, Beldam; you get the Crystal Stars and I bring your beloved Queen back, am I correct?"

Beldam nodded her head in false respect. "Yes, sir. We had a slight mishap in Boggly Woods, thanks to Vivian's blundering mistakes."

Vivian opened her mouth to say something, but Marilyn quickly shook her head, indicating that was a bad idea.

"I promise it won't happen again," Beldam continued.

"It had better not," Grodus replied, facing a computer camera that was monitoring Peach's captivity area. "I want those Crystal Stars, Beldam... and I want them now."

Beldam scowled under her hat. "...Yes, Sir Grodus..."

The X-Naut leader waved them off. "Now, go. I don't want to see any of you three again until you do something worth my time."

"I understand. We'll bring the Crystal Stars back, sir," Beldam replied.

With that, Beldam signaled her siblings to leave and the sisters left Grodus alone in his quarters.

Sometime later, the trio of Shadow Sirens found themselves back in Twilight Town.

"Damn that Grodus..." Beldam griped. "Who does he think he is, telling us what to do? This is _our_ Queen... but he'll learn that soon enough..."

"Guh?" Marilyn asked.

"No, don't you worry about that, Marilyn. We've got the Superbombomb... Right, Vivian?" Beldam asked, holding out her hand.

The youngest looked up. "Huh?"

Beldam paused for a moment, then growled. "Vivian... Where's the Superbombomb?"

Vivian gasped. "What? But, Beldam... you..."

She was cut off mid-sentence as Beldam slapped her across the face. Almost instantly, Vivian cupped a hand over her tender cheek. No matter how many times Beldam beat her, it always had that awful stinging pain, full of hate and anger.

"...I don't have it..." Vivian said, looking down.

Beldam shook her head. "_You lost it!_ It was the perfect plan! Mario could've been blown to bits! We could've gotten his map and found the rest of the Crystal Stars!"

"No... please... it's not my fault..." Vivian choked, feeling her eyes starting to brim with tears.

"We've could've brought the _Queen_ back!" Beldam continued ranting.

Vivian took a shaky breath, trying not to cry in front of her sisters. "Please, Beldam... I'm not lying... You said that it was too important to trust me with, so you took it!"

Beldam picked up a fallen branch from a nearby skeleton tree and smacked Vivian in the face, right across her eyes. Recoiling from the hit, Vivian shrieked in pain and rubbed her face in her arms. The branch snapped across her head, cutting the side of her lips and cheeks.

"I've had it with you, Vivian," The elder dropped the broken limb to the ground and turned to Marilyn. "You're not going to ruin my ideas anymore! If you don't find that Superbombomb that _you_ lost, don't even bother coming back home! Find that Mario and find that Superbombomb!"

Vivian didn't dare look at Beldam and after hearing her threat, she trembled.

Beldam looked at the hefty sister. "Come, Marilyn. Let's go and take a load off... I swear, Vivian just isn't worth squat, is she?"

Marilyn reluctantly nodded as Beldam motioned for her to follow her into the shadows.

Vivian went to the grass patch and started looking for the Superbombomb, her vision blurry through her advancing tears. Marilyn gently touched her back, stroking her shoulders gently with her large hand.

Knowing it was Marilyn, Vivian cracked a small smile. "Thanks... It's... It's okay... I'll be fine. You just go on with Beldam... I'll catch up..."

Without a word, Marilyn slowly removed her hand from her younger sister's back. She stood behind her, her face covered with concern and fret for Vivian.

Sensing Marilyn still watching over her, Vivian turned around. "I'm okay, Marilyn, really... I promise. I'm alright... Maybe I _did_ lose it... but... I'll find it..."

Although she didn't say anything, Vivian could tell Marilyn didn't completely believe her. Nonetheless, she obeyed and departed into darkness after Beldam.

After Marilyn left, Vivian sat in the bushes, staring at the ground with tears in her eyes. She took deep breaths, trying to hold them back, but it was no use. All the hurtful things Beldam had said to her earlier resided in her mind. Closing her eyes, she let a small tear trickle down her face. She hurriedly wiped it away, only for it to be replaced with two more. Vivian soon found herself quietly weeping against a lone skeleton tree, hiding from the natives of Twilight Town at the same time.

Huddling herself together at the base of the tree, Vivian rested on the cold, hard dirt and sighed. Was she just meant to live this way? Forever overshadowed by Beldam and constantly beat against her will? Vivian could feel herself starting to get a headache from such stress. She put her head down and was about to fall asleep when someone gently tapped her on the shoulder. Slowly, she raised her head to see a strange, little person in front of her. She couldn't really make out any features on him, as his complexion was vague and shadowy... just like her.

Rising from her position, Vivian wiped away another tear. "Oh, uh, can I help you with something?"

The shadowy figure shook his head, but he reached into his pocket and pulled the missing Superbombomb. Vivian tried her best to look surprised, remembering Beldam's plan.

"You... you found it! That's the missing Superbomb thingy!" Vivian pulled the shadowy figure into a hug. "Oh, thank you so much! I... really appreciate it!"

The figure didn't say anything, but he made a few gestures, some of which Vivian assumed were his ways of saying "You're welcome".

Taking the Superbombomb, Vivian looked it over. She wasn't entirely sure how to use it or what to do with it, but she felt her breath taken away when she noticed a large crack on the side.

"Oh... no..." Vivian said, ready to cry again. "I... I think it's broken..."

The silhouette rubbed his chin, then jumped up and down like he had idea. He took the Superbombomb and tinkered with it, seeing if it could be fixed.

Vivian held back her tears and shook her head. "No... Don't even try fixing it... it's completely broken..."

The shadow dropped the Superbombomb to the ground after hearing what Vivian said. He put a hand on her shoulder and nodded to Vivian, almost as if he was certain everything was going to be okay. Just as a tear trickled out of her eye, he gently wiped it away from Vivian's face.

Surprised by his actions, Vivian blushed and wiped away the rest of her tears. "Oh... thank you... I really needed that..."

The shadow person nodded in understanding.

Vivian squeezed the vague outline's hand. "Thank you... I don't know how times I can say it... You've been so nice to me... I just have to help you out, somehow."

The shadow shook his head, obviously not agreeing with Vivian's decision.

"No, really... I... I want to repay you for what you've done for me... Please... I promise I won't be a burden..." Vivian struggled, not very good at talking to total strangers.

Seeing that Vivian refused to take 'no' as an answer, the unclear figure finally accepted her proposition and her let tag along with him. Vivian knew that she had to follow Beldam's plan, but it wouldn't hurt if she helped this guy out first...

Vivian followed the shadow around, all the way from Twilight Town, through Twilight Trail, and up to the Creepy Steeple several times. The dark tower and the moonlit forest leading to it were both very familiar sights to Vivian, as her sisters' domicile was barely a mile away, in a darker part of the Twilight Trail. Throughout the journey to regain the silhouette's body and name back, Vivian learned about the culprit's name and eventually came face to face with Mario... or at least that's who she thought it was.

"Hey, Slick!" the culprit, Doopliss, called. "Just because you got a little girlfriend with you doesn't mean you can beat the great Super Mario that easily!"

"Wait... if he stole your name... does that mean... Are you Mario?" Vivian asked, in shock.

"No!**_ I'M_** Mario now! He's a nobody!" Doopliss spat.

Vivian felt her heart drop. She didn't think it'd hurt to help out this strange person... just as a friendly gesture... only to find out it was actually Mario... What had she done?

"Hah! Come on, fraud! I'll show you boss!" Doopliss shouted, challenging Mario.

Vivian stood on the sidelines, watching Mario and Doopliss fight, with Mario at a huge disadvantage. Doopliss had a small female Goomba with him, outnumbering Mario 2 to 1.

"I'm such an idiot... How could I be so stupid?" Vivian clenched her fists in anger, feeling her eyes burning with tears. "I actually helped out Mario... and I'm supposed to be taking the Crystal Stars from him... But I'm going to set that straight..."

Using Mario's own Hammer against him, Doopliss laughed. "Forget about it, Slick! You can't take down Super Mario!"

"Maybe alone, he can't..." Vivian emerged next to Mario in the fight.

"Just what I thought! This guy knows he can't beat me, so he calls in this wimpy shadow to help out, like it'd make a difference!" Doopliss mocked.

Mario attacked Doopliss with a powerful Super Jump, causing a nice amount of damage to the Duplighost. Then, it was Vivian's turn.

Trying to visualize she was fighting along with her sisters, Vivian used her basic attack, Shade Fist, on Doopliss, giving him a nasty burn.

"Ow!" Doopliss jump backed. "What a cheap trick! Only a fake would do something like that!"

"I'm right behind you, Mario!" the Goomba said, attacking Mario.

Vivian felt like she didn't have to worry about Mario now that was with him. He preformed a flawless Superguard against the Goomba's attack, sending it back at her.

After a few more minutes of fighting, Doopliss was finally defeated and Vivian felt her confidence with Mario soar. With him, she actually felt safe and... cherished...

"What a bunch of meanies! You all hurt Super Mario!" Doopliss complained, dropping the Ruby Crystal Star and making his escape out the window.

Seeing her chance, Vivian quickly grabbed the shining object, but suddenly stopped. She felt so important to Mario, like he respected her, even though he barely knew who she was. She couldn't steal from him... It was the reassuring look he gave after her the fight... He trusted her... He believed in her... and he would help her in anyway he could... Vivian was torn between what to do... but she just couldn't steal the Star...

"So, who's that girl with you? Isn't she one of those Shadow Sirens?" the Goomba girl asked.

"Yeah, and she's trying to take the Crystal Star!" a small light blue thing shouted.

"Oh... no, I'm not... I'm giving it to Mario..." Regrettably, Vivian handed Mario the powerful Star. "See?"

"Yeah..." the azure creature scoffed. "We'll see about that..."

Vivian tried not to show her fear in front of Mario's friends, but she couldn't help but feel intimidated by them. They every right to attack her and not show any remorse in doing so, due to the fact that she and her sisters had ambushed them once before.

Seeing how uncomfortable Vivian was around the others, Mario stood beside her and decided that it'd be a better idea if they went back to Twilight Town before anyone else was to jump to conclusions. Halfheartedly, the posse agreed.

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A little while later, the group sat in the Twilight Town Inn, getting to know their new partner and resting up before they made their long trek back to Rogueport Sewers. After paying the innkeeper a fee to stay, Mario sat aside and surveyed the scene, making sure no fights broke out against their most recent companion.

Vivian remained in the far corner of the room, anxious about getting to know these new creatures. She'd never been good at introducing herself, so she just lingered around, waiting for someone else to say something first.

The small light blue creature from earlier decided to break the ice. He had a curly strand of blonde hair right between his eyes and a small spotted diaper on his back and around his bottom. Vivian would've assumed he was a baby, but she wasn't entirely sure. His eyes flared with determination and spunk, ready to take down an entire army twice his size.

"So, you gonna say something, or what? Are you deaf or just stupid?" he asked.

Vivian bit her lip. "Um..."

Another small creature came up, looking angrily at the smaller light blue one. It was the female Goomba from the fight earlier. Vivian could tell it was girl from her ponytail and her slight trace of mascara. She wore a clunky helmet on her head, similar to the kind that miners and diggers wore, leaving Vivian to wonder if the hat would light up in the dark.

"Waffles!" she scolded. "That's not nice! She's our new friend now and you need to start treating her like one!"

Waffles sighed and rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay! Jeez, I'm sorry!"

"Just ignore him, Vivian! My name is Goombella; glad to have you with us!" the armless thing said.

Vivian waved faintly at Goombella. "Oh, hi, Goombella."

Vivian felt a little more comfortable around Goombella, even though she was a little loudmouthed.

Aside from Mario, the other two members of the party weren't as small as Waffles and Goombella. One of them was a cloudy kind of thing. She looked very proper and posh, with shining lips and jewelry, one of which was the necklace Vivian had dropped in Boggly Woods. Vivian still wanted the pearl necklace, but since it belonged to someone, she didn't deserve to have it.

The cloud thing approached Vivian and gently ran her fingers through her pink hair, causing Vivian to cringe a little.

"Oh, my! Such lovely hair you have! I have to say, I'm very jealous!" she said.

Vivian perked up. "Jealous? Of me?"

"Of course! Your hair is so soft and pure, almost as if it's been that way since the day you were born! I've tried forever to get my hair in the same fashion, but it always ends up so messy and unkempt," Flurrie laughed, flipping her hand back through her locks.

Vivian tried not to blush. "Oh, thanks so much..."

The last partner was something that Vivian had seen several times before; a Koopa. He had a lazy left eye and a bandage across his nose and wore a hooded light blue jacket with plain dark blue shorts. He looked very soft-spoken and timid, as he sat quietly on the bed, waiting for his turn to say something. Vivian had to admit it; he looked pretty cute and sweet, a real nice guy. Seeing him look towards her, she suddenly disregarded her thoughts.

Walking up to Vivian, the Koopa smiled weakly. "Um... hi."

"Hi, what's your name?" the Shadow Siren asked.

"...Koops..." the Koopa said, bashfully.

"Oh, that's a cute... uh, I mean, _nice_ name!" Vivian unintentionally blurted out, trying to correct her mistake.

Koops blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Um, okay then. Thanks... I think..."

Vivian mentally kicked herself in the head. How could she something stupid like that slip so easily? She made herself look like a fool in front of the group... or at least she figured.

Annoyed by the whole scenario, Waffles sat up. "Okay! Okay! We're done resting and with the introductions, so can we go now? I wanna hurry up and kick some other guy's butt so we can get the next Crystal Star!"

Goombella frowned at him. "Stop being so persistent, Waffles! We'll leave in an hour."

Waffles' mouth dropped. "An **_hour?_** But I wanna go right now!"

"Well, good things come to those who wait, so do that and try not to bug us until then!" Goombella demanded.

"Yeah, right, you little... Come on... I can't believe this...! 'Good things come to those who wait...' Blah blah blah..." Waffles mumbled to himself, retreating to his side of the room.

As everyone decided to turn in for the next hour or so, Vivian remained in the corner of the room, silently scheming about the Crystal Stars. She scanned every corner of the small tavern, remembering everyone's specific spot, as it would be necessary in order her to make a clean getaway. After she was clear of her surroundings, she set her eyes on Mario, already sound asleep in his bed. She would wait until everyone was asleep, snatch the map and Crystal Stars, and disappear before anyone noticed...

"Hey, um, Vivian... You know, you can take a rest, too, if you want..." Koops offered, holding up his blanket.

A little irritated about her thoughts interrupted, Vivian glowered beneath her hat, but lightened up when she noticed it was Koops talking to her. "Oh, that's... that's really... nice, but don't you need it?"

Koops shook his head. "Not really. I can just sleep in my shell. I feel a lot safer in there anyway."

Vivian took the blanket, experiencing déjà vu from the innkeeper back in Rogueport. "...Thank you..."

Koops smiled. "Oh... uh, you're welcome... Good night..."

Vivian watched as Koops made himself combatable on a small cushion on the floor and retreated into his shell. It wasn't long before she could hear his soft snoring. Looking at Koops' blanket, Vivian decided that... maybe she wouldn't take the Crystal Stars... just yet... Everyone had been so nice to her... Despite the fact that she was once a threat to them, they completely disregarded it and accepted her into their party anyway. No one had ever been nice to her before... Beldam had always warned about going off on her own, saying that everyone else in the world was 10 times worse than her punishments...

For the first time in her life, Vivian realized that was a lie.

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**_Authoress' Notes:_** _Giyah! I don't think I did such a good job with this Chapter, but the fans might think different! And yes, I changed the plot of the game so that Vivian was only pretending to be Mario's friend! I think that'd be awesome if it was more focused around Vivian. Anyway, Chapter 2 is done! Things will start to get more interesting in Chapter 3, so review and stay tuned for the plot twists! (And yes, the "small light blue thing" is a blue baby Yoshi and I named him Waffles. So shoot me :P)_


	3. Trust

_**Authoress' Notes:** Aww, I'm so happy! 20 Reviews for only the first 2 Chapters! I love you guys! Thank you so much for turning this story, which started out as an experiment, into a nice piece of work for everyone to enjoy! Also, to answer someone's question in the Reviews, I didn't include some parts (Mario turning back into normal, Mario and Vivian finding Doopliss, etc.) because I figured that 99.9 percent of the people reading this kinda let it playback through their minds on their own. Sorry if it seemed out of order, I just didn't think it was necessary.

* * *

_

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 3: **Trust**

* * *

**_

Vivian relaxed in the corner of her side of the inn, with Koops' blanket still wrapped tight around her shoulders. She quietly muttered incoherently under her breath in her sleep, changing positions every once in a while. After a few more moments of sleeping, she stirred in her slumber and soon awoke with a yawn, rubbing a hand over her face. Blinking sleepily, she looked around for the others, assuming an hour had passed and they were ready to leave. To her dismay, she suddenly realized she was alone in the small inn, aside from the local innkeeper sweeping the floor.

"Um, excuse me, but have you seen any of my friends lately?" Vivian asked in fear of the response.

"Yes, ma'am, I believe I heard one of them saying something about going somewhere a little bit earlier," the innkeeper said.

Hearing this, Vivian panicked and rushed out the door, suddenly bumping into a surprised Mario and Goombella, knocking the Goomba over.

"**_Ow!_** Hey, watch it, will ya?" Goombella growled irritably, as Mario helped her to her feet.

Vivian covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Oh, Goombella...! I'm... I'm so sorry! I-It was an accident, I swear! I'm really sorry..."

Goombella looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. "Oh, that was you, Vivian? It's okay, you don't have to apologize. That was probably my fault anyway."

"Okay, but I'm still really sorry. I got scared 'cause I didn't know where you went..." Vivian quietly mumbled.

Waffles huffed. "We were coming back to get you, sheesh! We only went to the shop on the other side of town to buy some items, that's all!"

"He's right, sweetheart. We wouldn't forget about you like that," Flurrie said.

Vivian sighed in relief, glad she was still on their side. "Thanks a lot. I really thought you guys had left me because I woke up late."

"Well, we kinda forgot to stop at the store and load up on items. I didn't think it'd be fair to make you come with us. We were coming right back, so I told everyone to let you sleep; you looked like you needed it. I guess it's my fault, since I didn't tell you that earlier. I'm sorry, Vivian," Goombella replied, smiling uneasily.

For a second, Vivian was taken aback by Goombella's apologetic response. After spending so much time with Beldam, it felt weird for someone to actually apologize to _her_ for once. Looking amongst the group, Vivian noticed that each one of them carried an item from the store: Goombella had a Stopwatch, Flurrie possessed a Super Shroom, Waffles carried a Thunder Rage with him, and Mario was responsible for the Maple Syrup, while Koops held a Life Shroom and a Boo's Sheet. Going up to Vivian, he handed her the Boo's Sheet.

"When we stock up on items, we always let each person buy what they want with their share of the money. You weren't with us, so I thought about giving you this... It's actually something we found in the storage room before we fought Doopliss... I hope that's alright with you..." Koops timidly said.

"That's okay. I actually love Boo's Sheets. Thanks..."

Waffles stepped over to the Warp Pipe in the middle of the town. "Okay, then: we've got our rest, we've got our stuff, and we've got her! Can we go _**now**_?"

Goombella joined glared at the impatient Yoshi. "You know, I'm really starting to wish we hadn't saved you from that egg..."

After bidding a friendly farewell to the mayor and a few residents of the town, Mario soon joined the group near the Warp Pipe. Jumping into it, he traveled back towards the Rogueport Sewers, along with his dependable partners following him.

Vivian continued to follow Mario as well, waiting for the perfect time to take his Crystal Stars... yet, at the same time, assist him and try to fulfill his every need. Deep down, Vivian knew what she had to do, but she just couldn't do it. All she could do was wait and see how everything turned out...

* * *

Sometime later, Mario led his party to one place where Vivian had often been many times in recent past; the Thousand-Year Door. Upon seeing the massive gateway, chills began to travel up and down Vivian's back and soon throughout her entire body. She actually felt nervous to even be near the legendary entrance, her actions and thoughts altered by its presence. Refusing to follow the others anywhere near the door, Vivian remained behind a small, barred fence near the entrance. 

Noticing the Shadow Siren was no longer with them, Goombella turned around. "Hey, Vivian... are you okay? You look... nervous..."

Mario soon took notice of Vivian's strange behavior and looked over his shoulder to see what was going on.

Vivian rubbed her right arm anxiously, a look of horror on her face. "No, I'm not scared... but... do you think it'd be okay if I stayed over here?"

Looking confused, Mario scratched his head.

"We're not going through the door, if that's what's troubling you," said Flurrie.

"That's not it... I just... well... Please don't make me go over there, Mario... I really don't want to..."

"I know why! She must be scared, the big baby!" Waffles jeered.

Vivian cringed. "No..."

"**WAFFLES!"** Goombella scolded.

"What're you yellin' at **_me_** for? _She's_ the coward!" Waffles protested.

Coming between the two, Mario stopped the squabble. Looking at Vivian, he nodded, then pushed the rest of the group towards the Thousand-Year Door.

"Thank you, Mario..." Vivian sighed.

Crouching behind the bars, Vivian watched Mario and the others from a distance. Standing on the pedestal, the red-clad plumber took out the Ruby Crystal Star and held it up. Still feeling very uneasy, Vivian decided it'd be best if she left and join up with the group later.

* * *

Sinking into the shadows, Vivian soon reappeared in the Twilight Trail. Stepping out of her own darkness and into the shady forest, she took a deep breath, the strenuous stress of light lifted from her eyes. She watched as a few Crazee Dayzees scurried by, happily dancing about in the faint moonlight leaking through the trees. Concealed behind a barricade of dead and fallen trees, the Shadow Siren made her way towards a strange house in the distance. Dark and deserted, the shady domicile loomed ominously over all who approached it with an eerie kind of feeling in the air. Thick, hazy mist bordered the gloomy cottage, warning intruders away with its impending dangers and sinister intimidation. Despite all this, Vivian and her sisters called it home.

Since the fragile front door was old and broken off its rusty hinges, it laid rotting in the doorway. For seclusion and safety reasons, it was a mandatory rule not to use it. In order of fooling onlookers that it was deserted, Beldam had strictly stated that it was important that the house was left untouched or changed, if at all possible. Pulling herself into the shadows again and reemerging inside the house, Vivian looked around for either one or both of her sisters.

"Marilyn? Beldam? Anyone here?" Vivian looked around and listened for a response.

The interior of the house was even darker than it was outside. The only bit of light in the abode was a small stream of the moon shining through a broken window in the front room. The entire dwelling had been made to keep out any form of light, even that which was from the moon. Only a selected few could see in complete darkness and, being a Shadow Siren, Vivian was one of them.

Responding to her sister's call, Marilyn appeared out of the shadows with a relieved look on her face. She was obviously happy that Vivian had returned, as she welcomed her kindly with opened arms.

Vivian smiled and returned her sibling's hug. "Hi, Marilyn. I'm happy to see you, too. I told you I'd be all right. I came back, didn't I?"

"So, I see you've returned..." Beldam's voice seeped out of the darkness. Vivian could tell she was still slightly irate about what happened last time.

She looked down. "I'm sorry, Beldam... I... I found it, but it was broken..."

Beldam appeared out of the obscurity. "Are you as deaf as you are dense? Do you think I actually care about that piece of junk anymore, especially now that you broke it?"

"Please forgive me, Beldam," she whimpered. "I... I thought you wanted that Super bomb thingy..."

Beldam slapped her hand across Vivian's face. "Shut up, spineless worm! How's the plan with the Crystal Stars going?"

Turning away, Vivian touched her raw cheek. "...I haven't had the chance to do anything yet, so I'm not really sure..."

"Well, you'd better hope for more chances in the future... I'm sick of hearing your excuses," the elder growled, holding her hand up and balling it into a fist. Vivian instantly felt her hair being pulled on, as a result of one of her magic spells.

"I'm not... making excuses... I just have to... earn their trust first..." Vivian winced in pain as the grip tightened on her locks and yanked her down towards the dingy floor.

"Trust is cheap! If anything, that's something you've yet to realize!" Beldam threw her hand down, violently slamming her sister onto the floor.

Jumping up, Vivian held the tender side of her waist in pain, which hadn't been able to completely heal after Beldam beat her with a pole two days ago.

"You're really trying my patience! Don't let me see you around here again without anything worth my time! Understand?" the leader demanded.

"Yes, I... understand..." Vivian found it hard to look at Beldam in the face.

Beldam slowly began to recede into the shadows. "You say that, Vivian... But Marilyn and I both know it's not true..."

A second later, Beldam had disappeared almost as fast as she had appeared. After making sure she was gone, Marilyn placed a hand on Vivian's flexible curves, softly treating the injured spot on her waist's right side.

Vivian held her sister's hand and leaned into her smooth palm. "Thanks..."

"Guh..." Marilyn spoke, rubbing Vivian's face.

Vivian returned the gesture. "I promise I'll be safe out there, okay?"

As always, Marilyn didn't say anything; she only nodded and let Vivian move out of her comforting grasp. Vivian held out her hand and grabbed her sister's, fingering it one last time before she left.

"I promise I'll come back one day... and I never break promises..." Vivian whispered in the shadows.

* * *

Sometime later, Vivian found herself back in Rogueport. Clueless as to the whereabouts of Mario's party, she reemerged near the port leading of the shabby town. No sooner had she arrived, a voice her from the distance. 

"Hey, Vivian!"

The siren turned around just in time to see Mario and the others running up to her, Goombella being the one who called her name.

"Where have you been? We've been all over Rogueport looking for you!" she panted.

"Well, I've been looking for you guys, too... I guess I got lost," lied Vivian.

"Yeah, well don't go wandering off like that anymore!" Waffles scolded.

"Sorry..."

"You don't have to apologize every time you make a mistake. It's okay to make a few errors because learning from them makes you a better person, okay?" Goombella unintentionally lectured.

"Sorry... I mean, okay," she corrected herself.

"Well, anyway... We've already packed up and we're going to Keelhaul Kay to get the next Crystal Star, sweetheart," Flurrie said, pointing to a large ship in the harbor.

"We'll be gone for a while, missy, so if you need to do anything important, I suggest you go and do it now!" a Bob-omb with a sailor's hat called from the deck.

Vivian shook her head. "No, I'm alright."

"Perfect, then we can go now!" another sailor shouted.

As the group began boarding the ship, Goombella noticed something. "Hey, Vivian?"

"Huh?"

"What's wrong with your face? Did you get into a fight? Your cheek looks swollen..."

She turned away. "It's just a small bruise..."

Flurrie took Vivian's face in her heads, rubbing her cheeks. "Why, you poor thing! Your jaw's all puffy and... has someone been pulling on your beautiful hair? And your waist looks mangled..."

Vivian shook her head repeatedly, disregarding the Cloud Spirit's assumptions. It didn't take long until the Shadow Siren realized she was actually trying to fool herself into thinking her own injuries were fake.

"No, it's nothing... I'm just a little tired. That's all..." she assured the others. "Once we start sailing, I'll be better."

* * *

Seeing as Waffles wasn't willing to cooperate, Koops decided to take the matter into his own hands. It just didn't seem fair to leave her alone like that the time. Walking up behind Vivian, he placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to yelp in surprise.

He smiled, joining her on the side of the ship. "You sure are jumpy, aren't you?"

"I'm just not feeling very... good right now..." Her was voice frail and distant as she spoke.

"I could tell," he said, pulling out a strange-looking drink.

Vivian perked up. "What's that?"

"It's called a Tasty Tonic. Since they're really cheap, Mario bought some in case someone got seasick." He handed her the drink. "Here, it'll make you feel better."

"No, thanks... I don't need it..."

"Don't worry, it's safe to drink. It'll help you, really."

Not only did she not believe Koops, but Vivian couldn't stand the way the Tasty Tonic looked. _Was it possible that he was trying to poison her? Maybe the others had caught onto her plan and were trying to get rid of her... That had to be it..._

"That's okay... I think... I can handle it..." she faintly moaned. Feeling a sharp effect of her nausea again, Vivian squeezed her stomach in pain.

"Okay, I'll prove it's all right and drink some first, okay?" Koops compromised, taking a sip.

Vivian watched closely to see if Koops started foaming at the mouth or anything. When he didn't, she still found herself a little doubtful about taking a taste.

"See? Nothing happened, right?" He handed her the Tonic again.

Vivian looked at it, satisfied, yet still unconvinced by Koops' demonstration. "I don't know..."

"C'mon, I drank it. Please..."

Reluctantly, she took a small sip, expecting for acid to burn through her tongue. Instead, her nausea began to lighten up slightly, not to mention the Tasty Tonic lived up to its name of 'tasty'.

"Well?"

Vivian looked at Koops and smiled. "It tastes like cherry soda..."

He returned the smile. "I think it tastes a little like grape."

Vivian giggled and Koops laughed with her over his comment. On another side of the ship, Waffles watched in disgust.

From the other side of the ship, Waffles snorted. "Bleh. How totally lame. That guy is so full of himself!"

"What are you talking about? I think it's nice he's willing to show her some compassion. He's never really been this close to anyone before. I'm glad he's finally showing his true colors," beamed Goombella.

Waffles continued eating his Shroom. "Bleh..."

Vivian smiled at Koops' kind gesture. "Thanks for the Tasty Tonic... I feel a lot better now..."

"Oh, yeah... Sure, anytime..."

They sat in an awkward hush before Koops finally decided to break the silence.

"Um, I... well... I'll talk to you later, then..." he timidly whimpered, leaving in a rush.

Vivian watched him retreat to the other side of the ship with Goombella and a few other sailors.

The second Koops got back from the edge of the boat, Goombella started smiling. "You like her, don't you?"

He did a double take. "What? No! ...I mean, she's just our friend... and we need to look out for her, that's all..."

"That may be true, but ever since she got here, you've always been watching her... Almost like you've got a thing for her... Do you?" the smirk widened on her face.

"No, I'm just looking out for her, like everyone else should. There's nothing wrong with that," he defended.

"You don't have to get all bent out of shape about it. What's the big deal?"

Koops looked at Vivian, her back now turned to him. "I just look at her and I feel like... she's unhappy..."

Goombella looked confused. "What do you mean? She looks alright to me."

"It's just the way she acts... We trust her, but I don't think she trusts us..."

Goombella frowned. "Well, give her time, Koops. You know she suffers from a small inferiority complex. Remember how mean her sister was to her in Boggly Woods?"

Koops looked down, the image of Beldam yelling at Vivian fresh in his mind. "But I never thought she'd actually join our side... Now, I just feel like she doesn't really want to be with us."

"You're thinking way too hard about this. Why don't you go and take a nap? Take a load off your mind," Goombella suggested, not getting the gist of his musings.

"Goombella, I think Vivian's hiding something from us... Something that might end up hurting her."

Goombella made a face. "Well... we'll keep an eye on her. She'll be fine."

Koops cast his gaze back to a dozing Vivian on the other side of the ship. "Maybe you're right..."

* * *

As the days and nights passed, Vivian became more accustomed to the crew, talking to them more often and forming closer relationships. After taking Koops' Tasty Tonic, she found the sea to be exceedingly relaxing instead of repulsive. Things continued on without a hitch... until the last day of the voyage...

One their last night at sea, the head of the vessel, Flavio, had announced earlier that the ship would be docking on Keelhaul by the next morning. Never being one to mingle, Vivian stood off to the sidelines and watched everyone else celebrated. Amongst the other crew members, Koops found his way over and addressed her.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi."

"Tomorrow we'll finally be on Keelhaul, then it's off to get the Crystal Star, right?"

"Yeah... Think it'll be scary there?"

"I've never been to Keelhaul, so it's possible. But as long as we've got Mario, I think there's anything to worry about."

"Maybe there'll be..." she stopped mid-sentence as she felt a strange chill creep through her body.

Koops looked confused. "What?"

Vivian rubbed her neck. "Something's not right..."

"What do you mean?" he looked around in a panic. "What's not right?"

At that moment, Goombella walked up. "Hey, guys... Did you notice? I think the ship stopped moving..."

Koops leaned over the side to check. "You're right... It's not. What's going on here?"

It didn't take the rest of the crew long to realize the same thing; the ship had indeed stopped sailing and sat motionless in the water. Bobbery, the navigator, found it to move, as if some unknown force was holding it down. This brought about complaints and protests for Flavio to take charge and do something. Eventually, Flavio sent one of the sailors, Pa-Patch, up to the mast to see the problem was.

"Maybe Bobbery accidentally hit a reef and we're stuck in it!" a Toad sailor shouted.

"What if we're being pulled into a current, just like the legend of the pirate king?" another asked, in shock.

_**"THEY'RE 'ERE! THEY'RE 'ERE!"**_ Pa-Patch screeched, leaping off the mast and onto the main deck.

"What do you mean? Who's here? Will someone please tell me what in the world is going on here?" Flavio frowned.

Flavio's question was soon answered as the ship was rapidly swarmed by strange wispy, blue flames.

"_OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo_..." the wispy spirits moaned, surrounding the vessel.

"**_IT'S THE PIRATE KING, CORTEZ!"_** a Toad bellowed. **_"EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!"_**

"Wait... W-what's gong on?!" asked a startled Koops.

"What do you think? We're being attacked by **_ghosts!"_** Waffles shouted, dodging a wisp trying to charge into him.

Backing into a corner, Vivian watched as the mysterious spirits began to chase everyone on the deck, either running them into the sea or forcefully knocking them off the side. Getting a closer look at the ghosts, Vivian recognized them as Embers, vengeful spirits from the recent dead. She quickly glanced around for Koops in the confusion of the fleeing crew, but before she could act, an Ember slammed hard into her back and another into her chest, knocking her off the balance of her tail. Losing her balance, she tripped and fell overboard, her scream abruptly ending with a splash.

"Vivian?" Koops realized she was gone, but didn't have enough time to react, as an Ember shoved him off the ship and into the water. He coughed and sputtered, getting salt in his mouth and up his nose.

The rest of the night of utter chaos, as bad things went to worse. The strange, blue spirits took over the ship and ended up sinking it, throwing the crew into the dark ocean. Koops splashed about in the waves, trying to keep his head above water. He watched in horror and panic as the rest of the party fought the churning waves to escape a huge whirlpool the ship had caused when it sank.

"Everyone! Don't panic! Just keep swimming and try to grab onto anything you can, preferably another person! If we stay in a cluster, we might be able to make it to land!" Goombella shouted, grabbing onto Mario. Even when there was impending doom and madness, she was always one to try and keeps things together.

Waffles paddled along quickly in an empty crate with a broken oar. Pushing the box over to Koops, he called out to him. "Hurry up! Get in, man!"

"Thanks, Waffles," the Koopa swam over to the crate and hoisted himself in.

"Sure, whatever, but help me steer this thing so we can get to land!" He pointed to an island in the distance.

Koops looked back to see countless sailors flailing about in the water. "But what about the others?"

"Forget 'em! I could barely fit you in here! If we go back, they'll swarm us and we could all drown!"

No sooner had Waffles began to row off, a Toad clutched onto the side. "Please! You've got to let me in! I'm begging you!"

"Let me in, too! I can't keep afloat much longer! I'm gonna drown!" a Bob-omb pleaded.

"Get off! You're gonna make us capsize!" Waffles barked, hitting the Bob-omb with his oar.

"But I can't swim!" the Toad shouted.

He swung the paddle through the water. "Not my problem!"

Just as Waffles had predicted, the rest of the crew began swarming the small wooden box. The crowd started violently rocking it back and forth, trying to get in with their cries and pleas for help.

"Scram! Move it! You know you all can't fit in here! Get out of my way!" the Yoshi shouted, swinging the oar in a hasty attempt to force sailors away.

"Waffles, you've got to..." Koops looked up just in time for the oar to smack him hard in the face, just missing another sailor. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as he could feel himself losing consciousness and falling back into the water. The sound of Waffles and the crew's yelling began to drown out as he sank deeper and deeper underneath the waves...

_Then, everything went black..._

* * *

"..._Koops? Koops! **KOOPS!** Get up, already! I know you're not dead, so wake up!"_ a distorted voice called.

Squinting slightly from bright light that was the sun, the Koopa groaned and opened his eyes. "Uh... Goombella?"

"It's about time you came to! I was worried sick!" she pouted.

Koops groggily sat up and rubbed his throbbing skull. "Oh... my aching head..."

"Try not to move too much. Waffles whacked you pretty hard with a stick, so you'd better take it easy."

"Okay... ouch..." Koops lay back down, frowning from his splitting headache. "Where are we...?"

"On Keelhaul Key, thank goodness. We've already made a camp in the jungle... Unfortunately, the ship's totally in ruins and we're all stranded here."

"Just great..." he moaned sarcastically.

"At least we made it to land... I don't think everyone else was as lucky..." a small Toad sailor stated, walking up to the female Goomba.

"What are you talking about?"

"Bobbery, Four Eyes, and Skipper have gone missing. I didn't see them anywhere on the beach or at the camp. I fear the worst has happened to them..."

Goombella looked out over the water. "Don't worry; they'll turn up sooner or later."

Still holding his head, Koops sat up again. "Hey, Goombella... Have you seen Vivian anywhere?"

Before she could respond, a small shade appeared on the ground and Vivian rose out of the shadows, groggy and tired. Shielding her eyes from the sun's ray, she stretched.

"Hey, Vivian. Glad you're okay." Goombella smiled. "We were just about to start looking for you,"

She nodded. "Oh... yeah. You don't have to worry about me that much."

"Okay... so now what? Where are the others?" asked the Koopa.

"You've been out for awhile now, but we've already found everybody and relocated in a more sheltered part of the island. Actually, I told them to meet up with me here, so they should be coming back anytime now," Goombella replied.

Right on cue, Mario, Flurrie, and Waffles soon joined the three and spoke to Goombella about the problem of getting everyone settled in. After devising a well-thought up plan, Mario, Goombella, and few other members of the crew worked together and assigned certain tasks to certain people, in hopes they could build a decent shelter by nightfall. Fortunately, the plan worked perfectly and everyone either ended up having their own tent or sharing one.

* * *

Hours later, Koops sat in Mario's tent with an ice pack on his face. Just like the others, he was beginning to recuperate from the awful attack last night. The camp was quaint, but comfortable enough for all members of the crew. The only one Koops found not content was Vivian. utisde the tent flap, he saw he dark form wandering about, looking worried and stressed. 

The shadowy female wavered around the outskirts of the small campsite, near the front of the island. Quickly and quietly, she left through some bushes and was soon out of sight. Worried about her wellbeing, he decided to follow her.

* * *

Vivian sat on the small beach on the front of the island and looked up at the moon in the midnight sky, shining along with numerous sparking stars. Coiling her tail, she lowered her body to the ground, this being her way of sitting. Along with the assault from the Embers on the previous night and her tracking through the jungle, the siren found herself weary and exhausted. She had almost dozed off when the sound of rustling in the bushes woke her. She stood, poised to fight, but relaxed when she saw it was only Koops. She quickly turned to face the ocean, not wanting him to see her face in her time of dreariness.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" he quietly whispered, coming out of the bushes.

Not turning to face him, Vivian sat down and rubbed her right arm with a hint of nervous tension. "...Yeah, I'm okay... I just... needed to get away for a little bit... It's no big deal..."

Koops walked closer to the sketchy Shadow Siren. "You sure? Nothing's bothering you, is it?"

"I'm sure. Nothing's wrong... I just needed to be alone for a minute," she replied, not turning around.

"Okay... Sorry for bugging you. I leave you alone, if that's what you really want," Koops said, a trace of disappointment in his voice.

Hearing the bushes rustling again, Vivian turned just as Koops backtracked through the foliage back to the campsite. She didn't know what it was, but for some reason, she felt a little sorry for him. All he wanted to do was make sure she was safe and she just shoved him off as a common bother. Rising from her sitting position again, she took a deep breath. Almost certain she would come to regret her choice later, she decided to give Koops her compassion.

"Koops, wait..."

The retreating Koopa turned to face her. "Yeah?"

"...You know... you can, well... you can stay here with me, if you want... I didn't mean to run you off like that."

Vivian could see Koops' eyes light up as he walked back over and sat down next to her, a shy, yet happy smirk on his face. The gentle shadow assembled herself beside Koops, immediately adjusting to his company with content.

"So... what brings you out here at this time of the night?" Koops asked, trying to start a conversation.

Vivian watched a few Nibbles swim by in the water. "Nothing, really. I was just enjoying some 'me' time."

"Yeah, I can understand that. Everybody needs sometime alone so they can get together with themselves; I should know."

"I'm glad you know what I was talking about."

Picking up a small rock, Koops stood and tossed it into the ocean. "Before I joined Mario, I did it all the time. I still do when we're not doing anything important."

"How'd you meet up with him?"

"It was kinda by accident. We just ran into each while he was looking for a Crystal Star," Koops answered, throwing another rock.

"Oh... Which one was it?"

He fingered a third rock. "Um, I think it was Diamond. Yeah, it was."

Vivian nodded. "Okay..."

Koops looked down at her, taking notice she was rubbing her arm again. "You're afraid of us, aren't you?"

"Huh? No... I'm not... I just need to get used to being around you guys..." Vivian trailed off, looking at the ground.

Koops smiled. "You're lying."

Vivian said nothing. He was right; she_ was_ lying, and poorly, too. An awful thought resided in Vivian's mind about how Koops acted around her. Maybe only _he _knew about what she was planning to do and would blackmail her about it... _No, Koops wouldn't do something like that... It wasn't in his nature... was it?_

Sitting down, Koops placed a hand on Vivian's. At the first touch, she flinched as a reflex, but she soon relaxed as Koops carefully started to massage her gloved hand.

"You know... Vivian?"

She didn't look up. "Huh?"

"I really don't like seeing you by yourself... It makes me feel... sad..."

"Why?"

"...I kinda like spending time with you... It relaxes me..." Koops coyly said.

Rising to stand, Vivian gingerly placed a hand on his shoulders. "...I like spending time with you, too... You're really nice to me when no one else is..."

Koops got up from his seat on the ground. "Are you going back to camp now?"

She looked away. "I guess..."

"Wanna come back with me? ...So you won't be alone?"

"Okay..." Vivian anxiously gnawed on her glove. Under her hat, she blushed like crazy, but she continuously fingered the rim to make sure Koops couldn't see.

With a nod of reassurance, Koops lead the way back to camp, Vivian following close behind.

_On the way back, Vivian unintentionally reached out and grabbed Koops' hand, giving it a gentle squeeze... _

* * *

_**Authoress' Notes:** Hah! I made up a name for that random Toad who got lost with Bobbery and Crump! I'm productive to the extreme :P I thought it'd be nice if I threw a little excitement in there and having it circle around how you escape a sinking ship haunted by ghosts seemed like the perfect way to do it! _


	4. Compassion

_**Authoress' Notes:** Okay, well, here's Chapter 4, and I'm proud to say that this story's coming along very smoothly, just keep the reviews and good comments coming!

* * *

_

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 4:** Compassion

* * *

_

The stars sparkled brightly over Keelhaul as Koops and Vivian made their way back to camp, the Koopa guiding the way. He stepped through the bushes, lifting branches and moving shrubs out of Vivian's face and out of her hat's reach. Other than the occasional rusting of bushes, everything was quiet and calm, the night air warm and soothing. Vivian almost regretted going back to the others, as she wouldn't be able to spend any personal time with Koops without anyone coming up and making a scene. It wasn't long before the two stood on the outskirts of the campsite, behind a few trees and shrubs. From what Koops could see, most of the crew had already gone to bed, leaving only Mario, his party, Flavio, and few other Toads sitting around a large bonfire. Koops also noticed Goombella standing near the edge of the forest, looking for something.

Vivian broke Koops' train of thought with a soft whisper. "Koops..."

"Yeah?"

She squeezed his hand tighter. "Thanks for staying with me back there... It was... so sweet of you... So, thanks. I feel better, now..."

"Oh... um... you're welcome..." he smiled shyly.

Hearing voices, Goombella walked through a bush and into the two. "Hey, where have you guys been? I was just about to go looking for you."

"Oh, we just had some time alone together near the shore. It's... it's no big deal," Koops replied, uneasily.

Goombella looked up to see Vivian massaging Koops' hand in her grasp. "Some time alone?"

"Yeah... We just talked about some things..." Vivian blushed.

"Did this 'talk' include holding hands?" she asked, a grin on her face.

"What? Oh..." Realizing she was still holding Koops' hand, Vivian suddenly yanked away, going red in the face again. "No... It's not like that..."

Koops nodded quickly, trying to back her up. "Yeah..."

Goombella smiled. "Hey, it's all right, don't worry about it. This never happened, okay?"

Koops nodded. "Okay..."

Vivian fiddled with her gloves. "Okay..."

Goombella went back to camp, Koops following her. Vivian reluctantly tagged along, not completely ready to face the others. She just wanted to be alone with Koops for a while longer...

Seeing Goombella coming back with the missing duo, Mario smiled and waved at the trio.

"So, Koops and Vivian finally decided to come back, huh? I was really starting to think you two had eloped, or something," Waffles joked.

Flurrie sighed. "Sweetheart, that really wasn't called for."

"I hope you and Vivian already ate before you went off like that," Goombella said, walking towards a tent.

"Why?" Koops whiffed the air, catching the scent of Shrooms. "Hey, wait... Where are the Super Shrooms? Weren't you guys cooking some when I left?"

"We don't have anymore food right now. You guys just missed the last serving," Thriff T. shrugged, coming out of his tent.

"What? Why didn't you call me?" Koops asked, a slight hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Sorry, I didn't know you two had left. Besides, it's first come, first serve. Until we can find a way to get back to Rogueport, only one piece of food for everybody," Thriff T. explained. Putting away his supply of Mushrooms, he zipped up his tent and headed for bed.

"I think that's only fair, since I think we might be here a while. We've got to make this stuff last, y'know," Goombella added.

Koops sighed and turned to the Shadow Siren. "We're just going to have to go to bed without food... Sorry about that..."

"Well... I have this..." Vivian fingered around the rim of her hat and pulled out the Jelly Ultra she had received from the innkeeper back in Rogueport.

Koops looked at the Shroom in awe. "Is that... a Jelly Ultra?"

Vivian became anxious. "Yeah... Is that bad?"

He smiled. "No, in fact, it's great! How'd manage to find one of those? They're very rare."

"Oh? Well, I actually got it from a friend..." she replied, smiling at the thought of the friendly innkeeper's amiability.

"Well, this 'friend' of yours must've been pretty rich in order to get one of these for you," Flurrie said.

"Why, those ghastly things cost about 400 coins! Of course, Flavio could buy dozens of those if he wanted to," the entrepreneur claimed, polishing his prized Skull Gem.

"Ooh! Ooh! Vivian, can I have some, please?" a Toad asked.

"I want some, too! I hardly got any grub to eat!" another proclaimed.

Goombella shook her head. "That's being greedy! You guys already got your food!"

Vivian handed Koops the Jelly Ultra. "Here, you can have this."

"Well... you can have some, too. You didn't get to eat anything either, so we'll share it."

She smiled meekly. "Oh, no... I'm not really hungry anyway..."

"Are you sure?" Koops looked worried.

Vivian looked at the ground, her stomach growling loudly. "I'm sure..."

"Well, I think your stomach disagrees with you..."

"No, forget about it. I can eat tomorrow," she said, hugging her waist.

Koops frowned. "Why can't you eat now?"

"Well, I'm more tired than hungry..." Vivian lied, rubbing her arm uneasily.

"...Okay..." Koops finally gave in, but instead of eating the Jelly Ultra, he carefully hid it in his coat's pockets.

Goombella looked at the sky. "Hey, Mario, it's getting pretty late, don't you think? We should call it a night."

Standing up from the bonfire, Mario nodded.

"All right, guys! Time to hit the sack! We got a big day tomorrow, so let's get some sleep!" ordered the headstrong Goomba, as she pushed people off to bed.

Groans and grumbles of disagreement were uttered amongst the unwilling crew as they reluctantly retreated to their tents. Vivian watched as everyone zipped up their sleeping bags for the night and Mario put the fire out, unsure of where she was supposed to go.

"Vivian? Come on, it's time to go to bed," Goombella spoke softly, knowing how gentle she had to be with her.

"I don't where I'm supposed to sleep..."

"Waffles is the only one with a free tent, so you can room with him," she directed her to Waffles' sleeping quarters.

Koops watched Vivian carefully as she joined Waffles in his area, feeling slightly dejected, since he also had no one else to room with. Maybe she didn't know...

Inside the tent, the little Yoshi unrolled his sleeping bag on the floor. Vivian stayed off to the side, watching him uneasily.

Seeing her, he raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing in here?"

"...I thought I was supposed to share this tent with you. Goombella told me no one else is staying in here, so..."

"So? I specifically told her that I always go it alone, so I don't know what the heck she's talking about. Sorry, but I'd like it better if you weren't in here."

"...Well... okay..." she sighed, used to being rejected.

"Then, see ya in the morning," Waffles opened the door to his tent and let Vivian out, not at all ashamed of his decision.

Going out into the warm night air, Vivian looked around for a comfortable place to sleep. Everybody else had already gone to bed, leaving the campground pitch black and deserted.

_It was always like this; Alone in a dark place, with no one to care for her... _

_No one to tell her it would be all right the next day... _

_No one to help her in her time of need... _

_No one... because she was always alone..._

Vivian heaved a sigh, continuing to look for somehwere she could rest. Almost on cue, Koops went to his tent's door to pull it closed, just as she walked by. Seeing her pink-and-white hat barely stand out in the thick darkness, he called out to her.

"Vivian? What're you still doing out here?"

"Um... Waffles already had someone else sharing with him, so I couldn't sleep there..." Vivian answered, not wanting Koops to know she'd been put out.

"Do you want to stay with me? No one else's in here," he held open the flaccid tent door.

"Okay..." Excited at her sudeen change of luck, she stepped inside.

Zipping up the door behind her, Koops pulled out the Jelly Ultra. "Here, I thought you might want this back."

Vivian took the Jelly Ultra and looked at it, then faced Koops. "...Why are you being so nice to me...? Is there a reason, or..."

"I'm being nice to you because we're friends, and that's what friends do for each other."

Vivian found herself overwhelmed by his answer. "Really?"

"You deserve this just as much as you deserve everything else," he continued. "Actually, why don't we share it? It'll be out little secret. Plus, I wouldn't feel feel right eating it whole when it's rightly yours."

"Okay..."

Koops took the Jelly Ultra and pulled it apart, taking the top and giving Vivian the stem. Not entirely sure of what it would do, she gently nibbled on hers.

"The only bad thing about this stuff is that they're really messy if you don't eat them right," Koops said, taking a bite out of the cap. He rubbed the leaking Jammin' Jelly between his fingers.

Vivian continued to softly chew on the stem, sucking the Jammin' Jelly on the inside. "It's pretty good... Actually, it's really good."

Soon finished with his share of the Jelly Ultra, Koops pulled out a handkerchief from his jacket and cleaned his hands. Seeing Vivian was done with hers, he carefully wiped her gloves clean.

Vivian could feel her heart begin to race as he tenderly rubbed her hands with the other side of his handkerchief. It felt strange for someone to actually care for them, as they were usually Beldam's main target for punishment.

"See? You liked it and so did I, so it was useful to both of us."

"No one's ever been this nice to me..."

"I don't see why. You're really nice to be around," Koops responded. He pulled out two sleeping bags from a wooden box, handing one to the Shadow Siren. "Here, this one's for you."

"Thanks." Vivian accepted the bag. She wasn't sure how to unroll it, so she followed Koops' example.

Finished setting it up, Koops yawned and tucked himself in. "Well, good night. We'll need to really rest up for tomorrow so we can find the Crystal Star."

The siren flinched, as she felt an awful chill of realization sting her body. It was almost as if Beldam was in the tent with her, ready to strike at any moment. _She had completely forgotten about the Crystal Stars, along with the fact that it was up to her to steal them from Mario..._

Koops sat up. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing... nothing's wrong..." came her quiet response. She continued unraveling her bag, sliding her slim body inside. Its shape matched hers almost perfectly, giving her a better sense of security and freedom. She rested her head against her bag's pillow, breathing a sigh of anxiety and turned to face the wall.

"If you say so..." mumbled the Koopa, half asleep.

After a few tense moments of her sister rampaging through her mind, Vivian managed to close her eyes and finally relax. For some strange reason, she felt Koops being there had something to do with her falling asleep so quickly and easily...

_

* * *

_

Warm, damp mist heavily covered the foliage of Keelhaul, dotting the entire island with fresh drops of dew. The faint cries of seagulls could be heard in the distance, along with the soft flow of the receding tide on the beach. The small camp was calm and tranquil, the entire group peacefully sleeping in their tents.

"All right, everybody! Rise and shine! C'mon, wake up! Let's go!" Goombella circled through the camp, demanded the crew to awaken.

Koops sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Goombella... please... people are trying to sleep..."

Grabbing Koops' blanket in her mouth, she yanked it away. "We need to get up and start looking for the Crystal Star! If we wait too long, the heat'll be intense!"

"Mmmm..." he grumbled, turning over and withdrawing into his shell.

She kicked his shell over. "Oh, get up already!"

"Go away..." Koops grumbled from inside.

"Fine, then..." Picking up his shell, Goombella walked over to a pool of knee-high water in the camp and promptly dropped him in.

Seconds later, he jumped out in a panic, a Nibbles at his heels. Once he was back on dry land, he shot Goombella an angry look. "What's your problem? I could've drowned!"

"Then, when I say 'Get up!', I mean it!"

Koops grumbled to himself as made his way over to the tent he and Vivian had shared the night before, looking for the Shadow Siren.

"Vivian? You awake?" He lifted up his discarded sleeping bag, only to realize that Vivian was no longer there, or in the tent, for that matter.

Goombella's persistent yelling had already woken up most of the others. Some had left camp and were busy washing up in a nearby stream, while others lined up in front of Thriff T.'s tent for his limited supply of Super Shrooms.

Going back outside, Koops scanned the vicinity. "Vivian?"

Waffles walked up, a Super Shroom in hand. "What is up with you? Do you_ like_ missing meals?"

"Waffles, have you seen Vivian?"

"Not since last night, when I kicked her out of my tent," he replied, taking a bite out of his Shroom.

Koops narrowed his eyes. "You kicked her out of your tent?"

"You know, when you say it like that, it makes _me_ look like the bad guy..." Waffles replied, nonchalantly.

"Waffles, how could do something like that?" he demanded, feeling sorry and irate for Vivian at the same time.

"Look, you and I both know she didn't want to be there in the first place. Besides, she ended up staying with you, so what's the big deal?"

Koops turned off towards the jungle, frustrated. "That's not the point!"

"Whatever..."

* * *

Walking through the bushes, Koops squinted in the bright glare of the sun's rays and looked around for any Putrid Piranhas or Fuzzies. Goombella had mentioned earlier that it was pointless to fight either one of them in large groups. Finally convinced he was in no danger, Koops stepped over a few fallen braches and continued on, seeing some Toads eating Keel Mangos and cleaning themselves in a tiny river. Amongst the laid-back sailors, he spotted Vivian near a tree, holding several strange-looking fruits in her arms. 

"Vivian?"

Hearing her name, she turned around. Seeing Koops, a shy smile found its way onto her face. "Hi. Good morning."

"Where've you been? I didn't see you at camp, and I was starting to get worried," Koops admitted, hoping it didn't appall Vivian that he was looking for her.

"Sorry, I was getting these for some Toads earlier this morning, but then I thought... If we can't get any Super Shrooms, we can eat these. They're not much, but it's better than nothing."

Taking one, Koops fumbled with it in confusion. "How do you eat it?"

Vivian laughed. "I don't know..."

"It's okay. We'll get Mario to smash it with his Hammer, or something."

"I guess we could try that..."

* * *

Walking back to camp, the two could hear shouting gradually getting louder as they neared camp. Passing by his tent near the edge of the forest, they saw what it was; Flavio and Pa-Patch in a heated argument about who was more useless in helping out when the Embers sank the boat. 

"And wut did 'ou do, huh? Stand around, wondering if the ghosts 'ad any money?" Pa-Patch grumbled.

"Flavio did no such thing! 'Twas I who tried to calm the crew, you frightening thing! I didn't see you exactly 'fighting the good fight', as you rogues say," Flavio retorted.

"'Ou can't fight ghosts! They're dead! But oi guess a Fancy Pants lioke 'ou wouldn't know that!"

Flavio stood in an angry shock. "Excuse me...? Fancy pants?"

"What? Want me to say it again? **_FANCY PANTS! FANCY PANTS! FANCY PANTS! FANCY PANTS!"_**

Flavio shook his fist in anger. "Flavio demands satisfaction!"

Goombella stood between the two. "Guys, stop it!"

"Well, he's the 'un 'ho'd started it!" Pa-Patch spat.

"I don't care who started it, _I'll finish it!_"

"Wow, Goombella really knows what she's doing," Vivian said, as Koops put some Keel Mangos in his tent.

"Yeah, if it weren't for Mario, I think she would be our leader," he laughed at the thought.

Making sure Flavio and Pa-Patch were separated, Goombella walked over to Koops. "Hey, just so you know, we'll be leaving to explore the island soon."

"Isn't it a bit early?"

"It's best for all of us if we go before the sun gets too high and raises the temperature."

Koops sighed. "Okay, okay..."

"Do we need to bring anything?" Vivian asked.

"Just your own items. Y'know, the ones we got back in Twilight Town?" Goombella answered, walking over to an inattentive Mario.

Seeing everyone was there, Mario walked off into the forest, his posse following close behind in a certain order. Goombella stayed near the front with the red-clad plumber, Waffles followed her, after him was Flurrie, then Koops and Vivian brought up the rear. Being in the back made Vivian nervous, since a Putrid Piranha could easily ambush them.

"Don't worry about it. They won't come back here without attacking Mario first. He'll take care of them," Koops reassured her.

Not fully convinced Koops was right, Vivian slowly reached out and took his hand. "...You don't mind, do you?"

Koops didn't turn around to showing his blushing face. "No... I don't mind... It's probably safer this way..."

As the group continued on, Vivian caught sight of a few Putrid Piranhas in the bushes, but she paid them no mind. When Koops was around, she felt like nothing in the world could hurt her.

_

* * *

_

_**Authoress' Notes:** Okay, so I lied. Consider this chapter as a buildup to something bigger. No plot twists for the public until I don't know when, but there **will **be some before the story ends. And yes, I skipped the part where Mario fights the Embers because it has nothing to do with anything! I was really planning on having Mario and the guys go and kill Cortez by the end of this chapter, but I changed my mind, since I thought of a better idea. So, yeah, Chapter 4 is accomplished_ _and Chapter 5 is in the works. _


	5. Pain

_**Authoress' Notes:** I've slaved over this chapter for about 2 1/2 weeks now, so be nice and give me a lot of praise for this one! Please!

* * *

_

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 5:** Pain

* * *

_

As the group traveled on the thick forest, they soon found that the search to find the next Crystal Star would be a lot more complicated than first imaged. Before they even got halfway through the jungle, they coincidentally came in contact with the missing and most-likely assumed dead sailors; Bobbery, Four-Eyes, and Skipper. Unfortunately, the trio was trapped on a rickety bridge by a pair of fuming Embers with no way off. Being the honorable supporter he was, the salty Bob-omb threw Skipper and Four-Eyes off the bridge to safety, running off with the flaming ghosts. While Four-Eyes and Skipper retreated to camp, Mario and his posse went off to find Bobbery, soon realizing he'd been mysteriously trapped in a tree by the duo of Embers. What ensued after defeating the fiery phantoms was a long game of give and take, involving the will to fulfill Bobbery's last request for his Chuckhola Cola, which Flavio had authority of. Following a lot of considerable confusion, Bobbery eventually received his desired beverage, and agreed to repay Mario for "bringing him back from the departed". Now, after an exhausting expedition in the searing heat, Mario and his expanded party returned back to camp for a well-deserved rest before going onwards.

Koops wiped the sweat off his brow. "Geez, Mario... I think we're lucky we all haven't had a stroke by now..."

A hot Goombella nodded. "Same here..."

"I say, I'd have to agree," Flurrie sighed, trudging along.

Bobbery walked along near an untroubled Mario, not at all affected by the heat. "Sorry for troubling you lot so dauntingly, but at least that's all behind us now.

"Easy for you to say; you didn't even do anything..." Waffles grumbled.

"Hey, Vivian, how're holding up?" Koops asked, looking back at the quiet Shadow Siren.

Sweating and weary, she nodded. "...I'm okay..."

Reassured of her safety, Koops turned back to walking with the others. On the other hand, Vivian quietly remained lingering in the back, tired and hungry. Continuously leering at the ground in fatigue, she then noticed a few flowers; a small cluster of white lilies near the edge of other various flora. Upon seeing them, she immediately stopped following the group. Looking at them long and hard, her face slowly turned somber as realization replayed an awful memory through her mind.

Going over, she stooped down and gently caressed the flowers, unaware of the danger lurking behind her...

* * *

"There's the camp! Finally!" Waffles spat.

Goombella rolled her eyes. "Oh, please... We weren't gone_ that_ long."

"It wasn't how long we were gone; it was all the stuff we had to do in-between then!"

The Goomba scoffed, unable to think of a formidable retort.

"Vivian... Why are so quiet? Are you okay?" Koops asked.

Not getting a response, he turned around just in time to see Vivian crouching near the ground, a large Putrid Piranha looming over her.

_"**VIVIAN, LOOK OUT!"**_ shouted Koops.

Startled, Vivian quickly sat up and let out a bloodcurdling scream as the poisonous Piranha Plant violently seized her arm.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion... _Vivian's sight began to blur, her hearing started to fade out... She could still feel the Putrid Piranha's razor-sharp teeth puncture her arm like knives and the ice-cold poison seeping through it. Her face was in a painful sneer as she struggled to break free, but it was futile. She soon felt herself become drowsy and faint and the poison taking effect..._

Her head began to spin... She could hear distant and garbled speech... and slowly felt herself fading away...

_Thick, green poison oozing from the side of her arm..._

_Small uncontrollable tremors throughout her body..._

_A throbbing headache that was gradually getting worse..._

It wasn't long before she lost consciousness and her body went limp, her arm still snug in the Piranha's mouth...

_

* * *

_

...Sometime later, she was lying in a bed back at camp, everyone crowded around her, with Koops by her side.

He gently stroked one of her gloved hands. "Vivian... if you can hear me, squeeze my hand..."

Goombella peered over hisshoulder. "I think she's unconscious. We should let her rest..."

Bobbery sighed. "I say... this is most unfortunate. I feel sorry for the poor lass. A bite from one of those things can really take a toll on you..."

Waffles nodded. "Yeah, man. But, how bad is it?"

"I'm pretty sure it's not fatal, but it could still have some serious effects if not treated properly," answered Goombella.

Koops continued to hover over her anxiously. "Vivian, please say something..."

_Her name... __Did someone just say her name?_

_Was... someone talking to her? _

_She couldn't tell; the words were distorted and blurred. Aside from her name, she couldn't make them out..._

_Despite not being able to accurately see or hear, Vivian could tell she was lying in a bed... and someone was holding her hand._

Turning her body to the side, Vivian tried to make out who was it was, but this caused a sharp stinging in her injured arm and a pounding headache. Feeling this, she tried to move to another position, but still felt uncomfortable. She soon found herself in a slight panic as each movement she made resulted in awful pain.

"Try to not to let her move too much. It'll increase the poison flow in her arm," Goombella advised, watching her struggle.

Putting his hands on Vivian's chest, Koops tried to calm her down. "C'mon, relax. You're okay now..."

"...Koops...?" she mumbled drowsily.

He smiled vaguely. "Don't worry... Everybody's here for you."

"...Everybody..." she mumbled again, her body unstable and jerky.

"Just take it easy... Relax."

Vivian coughed and wheezed uncontrollably, her chest rapidly heaving as she struggled to breathe.

_She could feel her stomach starting to cramp... _

_Her lungs felt like they were on fire with each breath she took... _

_It felt like cotton was lodged in her throat... _

_She had begun to break out in a cold sweat, and she could feel herself slowly fading in and out of consciousness...

* * *

_

Wrapping one of Thriff T.'s Ice Storms in a cloth, Koops gently placed it on Vivian's forehead, resulting in a frown under her hat from the sudden chill.

Koops gave Goombella a worried look. "Do you think she'll be okay?"

"She got bit pretty badly, but at least it was only on her arm. Just keep her cool and relaxed and I think she'll be fine."

"She won't... She won't die, will she?"

"I doubt it. The wound's very minor and we already gave her one of the spare Tasty Tonics. I think her body can handle the rest."

"But someone has to stay here with her. We can't just leave her like this..." Koops pointed out, uneasily.

"Don't worry! We'll look over Vivian for you guys!" a Toad sailor happily volunteered.

A Bob-omb sailor stepped forward. "Yeah! It's the least we can do while you're away."

"Thanks, but I think it'd be better if one of us stayed. We need to keep her as calm as we possibly can, and knowing her, she might feel a little intimidated by you guys if none of us were around," explained Goombella.

As the discussion of what to do over Vivian's condition continued, Koops sighed and looked down, distraught with grief. This whole mess was all his fault and because of his carelessness, one of his own friends had been severely poisoned... Not only that, but it just had to be poor Vivian, who seemed so undeserving of such a punishment. With his back still turned to the others, he quickly brushed his face in his hands, trying to wipe away any advancing tears.

"The poor dear... I absolutely hate seeing her like this..." He heard Flurrie say.

"Yeah. It must really suck to be poisoned like that," Waffles added.

A Toad sailor shook his head. "Don't talk like that! There _has_ to be something we can do!"

Suddenly, a determined look made its way onto Koops' face as he turned to the others. "I'll stay with her."

Upon hearing his voice, the entire party looked at him. "What?"

"But Koops, we might need you out there," said Goombella.

"Don't worry about it. I'd probably just get in the way--"

"But don't you think it's kinda stupid to go with only three people? I say we should stay until Vivian gets better, then we can all go!" Waffles blurted out.

"Yeah, the Crystal Star can wait. We'll all stay and help out, okay?" Goombella gave him a hesitant smile, almost positive he wouldn't take "No" for an answer.

"No, this is my fault. I... I should've been watching her more closely..."

"Oh, c'mon, man! Stop beating up on yourself! It's nobody's fault! It just happened, okay?" Waffles retorted.

Koops faced Vivian. "...But why'd it have to happen to her?"

Goombella was just about to say something, when she noticed, as Koops' head was turned to the side, there was a small tear sparkling in his eye. Seeing this, she bit her lip and eyed the others...

Waffles scoffed. "Come off it, man! We're staying and that's--"

"Guys, I think we'd better go," Goombella firmly said.

"What?"

Goombella looked up at Mario. "If Koops wants to stay that badly, I think we should let him. It's not fair to make him come if he doesn't want to."

Mario rubbed his chin, as if he were in deep thought.

Waffles pouted. "But Gonzales, we haven't even been in that cave yet! We're might need everybody on this one!"

"...Well, I don't mean to intrude in on anything, but it would be my honor if I could take Koops' place instead," Bobbery offered, bowing in respect.

Waffles turned around. "Huh?"

"Do you mean to tell us that you'll fill in for Koops?" Flurrie asked, taken by surprise.

"What he's doing for Vivian... I find it heartwarming and honorable. Why, I would do the same for my darling Scarlette..."

"But still!" Waffles protested.

"Still nothing! Since Bobbery joined us, we can afford to go without Koops and Vivian!" Goombella retorted.

Reluctantly, Flavio stepped up, polishing his Skull Gem in irritation. "Then do I have to go anywhere sometime soon or not? Your procrastination annoys Flavio!"

Walking towards the jungle, Mario motioned for the others to follow him. Apparently, he had made up his mind about what he wanted to do and was satisfied with Bobbery's substitution.

The Yoshi followed him, joined by the others. "All right, fine! If it's okay with Gonzales, it's okay with me!"

"...Fine, but if anything unpleasant is to befall Flavio, I shall personally demote you as captain, Mario!" the capitalist complained, reluctantly following.

"Yes, we understand. Just don't get lost, you rich fool," Bobbery grumbled.

Goombella watched as the others left, then went over to Koops. "You sure you're gonna be okay with this?"

"Yeah... I don't want to hold up anything, so you guys just go on ahead."

"All right. Don't just work yourself too hard, or we'll have to take care of _you_ when we get back," she laughed.

Watching Goombella ran to catch up with the others, Koops went back inside the tent to check on Vivian. From he could see, she was sleeping, but made a cringing response every few seconds.

Placing his hand on her gasping chest, he carefully rubbed it. "It's okay, Vivian. I'll make sure you get better..."

* * *

_Words... That's all they were... Words..._

_...Or were they something more than that?_

_Vivian felt as if she'd been pulled out of her own body, her mind drifting aimlessly in a dark void of no return._

_It didn't seem possible. __Was this all a dream? __Or reality...?_

_She squinted her eyes tight as she tried to make out the blurs in front of her..._

"_**You're not just gonna lay there all day, are you?"** someone asked._

_That voice... it seemed so familiar. __It was distant, yet... so playful and juvenile. __Who was talking to her?_

_Vivian blinked again.** "Who... who are you...?" **she asked lethargically, her voice in a higher pitch._

"_**Wow, Vivi, you must've hit your head harder that I thought," **came the bouncy reply._

_Vivian closed her eyes again, putting her hands over her face in a tired frustration. When she removed them, her vision gradually became clearer, revealing the blurs to be the surroundings around her. Lush, green trees in a wide-open field of flowers, with a clear, blue sky up above. Feeling another presence nearby, she turned to her side to see a girl who looked almost exactly like her._

_Donning a green-and-white hat, soft bangs of lime hair loosely swept across her forehead from under the brim of her hat, concealing her eyes. The rest gracefully flowed down her shoulders and to her waist, unrestricted and pure. Like Vivian's pink cheeks, her's were a faint rose color; her lips were that of a soft magenta hue. A white lily was placed on the rim of her hat, a happy smile on her face._

"_**I don't think it was anything serious, Vivi. Here, let me help you up," **the other Shadow Siren offered, holding out her hand..._

_Now standing up next the other girl, Vivian finally recognized who she was..._

_**"...Wilwian...?"**_

_Vivian also realized her voice didn't sound right. She spoke with the tone of a toddler, mispronouncing her words unintentionally and not understanding her own thoughts. Looking up at Lillian, she began to understand what was going on. She had gotten smaller, not only in size, but in age. Her hat was now too large for her and sat in an odd position on her head, preventing_ _it from falling in front of her face._

"_**Vivi, what's wrong?" **Lillian asked, stooping down to her level._

_Tears of agitated confusion ran down her puffy cheeks. **"My head hurts..." **_

_Lillian ran her fingers through her hair, looking for any bumps or bruises. **"Well, I don't see anything. Whatever hurts, it'll go away soon"**_

"_**Okay..."** _

**_"Hey,_** _**I know what'll cheer you up! You wanna make some flower necklaces?"** she asked, rubbing her sister's shoulders._

_Wiping the last of her tears away, Vivian slowly nodded. _

"_**Okay, then..."** Taking Vivian's tiny hand, Lillian led her over to a large field of white lilies, similar to the one placed in her hat._

_Picking up a lily, Vivian examined it closely, then gave it her sister. **"This one's pretty..."**_

_Lillian smiled and took it, adding it to two others she'd already gathered. **"Flowers are special like that; if they're taken care of properly, they grow to look gorgeous and attractive... Just like you."**_

_A look of shock crossed Vivian's face. **"I'm gonna turn into a fwower?"** she asked, innocently mispronouncing her "L"._

_Lillian laughed at her naiveté. **"No, silly! I mean you're gonna grow up and become beautiful like a flower!"**_

_She giggled childishly. **"Oh! Oops!"**_

_Lillian held up a small ring of three lilies over Vivian's head, placing it around her neck. **"There, that should fit perfectly."**_

_Smiling, Vivian fawned over her new fragrant necklace in delight... Then she noticed Lillian was no longer sitting with her. She looked down in confusion to see her older sister lying on the ground._

_Bewildered, she crept over. **"Wilwian?"**_

_Lillian didn't respond, her body slumped in an awkward position. __She laid there, on the cold, hard soil, blood seeping from underneath her lifeless body._

_Vivian gently tugged on her hat, tears trickling from her upset eyes. **"Wilwian... Wake up..."**_

_Seeing she wasn't moving, Vivian began to panic. More tears clouded her vision as she looked for another way to wake her. She pushed against the Shadow Siren's body, hoping with all her might that she would awaken and play with her once again._

"_**C'mon, Wilwian... Pwease..."** Vivian huddled over his sister's cadaver, crying. _

_But she remained unmoving on the ground...

* * *

_

Feeling something in her hand, Vivian fingered Koops' palm, mumbling in her sleep. "...No..."

Koops looked at her, worried and confused. "Vivian?"

She squeezed his hand tighter, a pained expression on her face. "...Lillian..."

"Lillian? ...Who's that?"

It then occurred to Koops that Vivian might've been hallucinating under the influence of the poison. Wrapping another Ice Storm in a cloth, he placed it on her head and continued stroking her hand. Almost as if on cue, she groggily sat up in bed, unstable and woozy. Koops couldn't help but smile.

Vivian massaged her head in pain. "Ouch..."

"You okay?" he asked, helping her sit up.

"I'm okay... I just feel a little... tired..."

Koops put a hand to her forehead. "Your fever's going down. You had us worried, you know..."

"Sorry..."

"That's okay. Just as long as you're all right..."

It seemed awkward, almost uncanny, how some things fell into place in certain ways; Vivian had to admit that her relationship with Koops was a perfect example, although she wasn't exactly sure what it was yet...

But no matter how awkward it was, it made Vivian feel happy... like she used to be with Lillian.

* * *

Later that night, Mario and the others returned to camp, successful with finding the illustrious Sapphire Crystal Star. Seeing as Vivian had recovered, they couldn't wait to tell her about their adventure. 

Waffles bounced up with excitement. "Man, you missed all the action! Okay, so we went through Pirate's Grotto and did some stuff, right? Then, we saw the evil pirate king, Cortez!"

"But he wasn't evil at all. He just wanted to protect his treasure and he thought we were after it," Goombella continued.

"We helped Mario show up that ruffian for the lout he was, but in the end, all was mistaken and we resolved the problem," Flurrie added, brushing back her hair.

"And to top it all off, you remember Four-Eyes, right? Well, he was actually that stupid Crump guy! So, we all trashed his sorry butt and Cortez agreed to let us use his ship to get back to Rogueport!" Waffles explained.

Lying on a pillow, Vivian nodded and smiled faintly. "Sounds like you guys had fun..."

"Well, since we have a ship now, we're sailing back to Rogueport in the morning... Unless you need more rest..." Goombella looked at the Shadow Siren, who shook her head.

"No, I can go tomorrow."

"Well, in that case, I'm going to bed!" Waffles announced, walking out. "See you freaks in the morning!"

"I think we should all have a nice lie-down; it's been a long day," Flurrie agreed, also leaving.

"You think you're alright now?" Koops asked, standing up.

"I'm feeling a lot better, really."

"Well, while you were asleep, I got one of the sailors to get you these." He pulled out a small bouquet of lilies, the exact ones she'd been admiring earlier.

Vivian tried her best not to frown, but the flowers made her more sad than happy. "Thanks, Koops. That's really sweet..."

"Okay, then. I'll let you rest now." He turned to walk out the floppy tent door, proud of his good deed.

After making sure she was alone, Vivian sat up and stretched, rubbing her eyes and getting a better perception of the lilies Koops'd left for her. Reaching for the small, white flowers, she hugged them fondly.

"Lillian..." she whispered, a small tear dripping onto one of the folded petals.

* * *

Outside, the members of the crew were celebrating their final day on the island, while others either sat back and watched, or went to sleep in their tents. Koops sat by himself near the edge of the campsite, watching the others carouse. For some reason, he didn't feel much like partying...

Goombella walked over to the secluded Koopa, bringing him a fresh Super Shroom. "Here, you've really earned it."

Koops forged a smile. "Thanks..."

"Oh, _now,_ what's wrong?"

"Nothing... I guess I'm just still worried about Vivian."

Goombella sat down. "What's there to worry about? She's fine, you saw her."

"I know, but I have a really bad habit of being bothered over things like that."

"Well, don't. Vivian's fine and we're going home tomorrow, so relax a little."

Koops stood up, walking towards the sandbar. "...I just need to clear my head..."

"Okay, just don't stay out too long..." Goombella advised, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Sure..." he whispered, not really hearing the Goomba's words.

* * *

Strolling awkwardly through the foliage, Koops made his way to the sandbar, which looked as eerily beautiful as it did the last time he was there with Vivian...

A sigh of exasperation escaped his lips as thoughts of the Shadow Siren ran through his mind again. It was evident that going to the beach wouldn't help in quelling his mind into forgetting about he, he concluded, starting to leave. But just as he wrestled back through the thick vines and leaves, he saw her. Almost like a mysterious apparition, she appeared out of the shadows, sitting herself on the sandbar and facing the vast sea.

Turning back to face the object of his affection, a loving smile found its way onto his face as he gazed at her adoringly from the safety of the thick undergrowth. She looked so tranquil under the moon's subtle glow, as she mournfully huddled over something. He could only look on in awe, as she was unintentionally posed in an almost sad, yet elegant picture of lament and pain. Her sleek figure glimmered in the soothing moonlight, coloring her body a brilliant shade of sparkling lavender; her vague outline glowed like a mystical force. Getting closer, he noticed she was holding several small flowers close in her arms, the same ones he left her earlier. His interest now peaked, Koops inched even closer, clumsily pushing through the shrubbery.

"Lillian... I miss you so much... Why'd you have to leave me like this...?" she sighed, looking at the bouquet.

Koops immediately realized the name; it was the same one she'd been whispering in her dreams. Now completely interested, he moved along the shrubs in anticipation, but he eventually lost balance and tripped over a large tree root.

"**OOF!"** he grunted loudly, the wind knocked out of him as he fell.

Startled by the sudden noise, Vivian dropped her lilies and disappeared into the shadows.

Limping out of the bushes, he called out, "Wait... Don't be scared. It's only me..."

A few seconds passed before she reappeared from the murky gloom, her face red and puffy. "Oh... Hi, Koops..."

"Hi..." He made his way over, picking up the flowers and handing them back to her.

As she reached for the lilies, her gloves ran through his fingers... _And at that moment, just for a split-second, __Vivian felt a calm warmth emitting from his hands. __She couldn't make out exactly what it was, but it made her feel somewhat... loved..._

Koops sat down. "I heard you in the bushes... About Lillian."

Vivian perked up at the sound of her deceased sister's name. "You did?"

"I'm really sorry. If I knew these flowers reminded you of her..."

"...No... It's not your fault. You didn't know..." she responded, slightly surprised he'd been spying on her.

"Was she a friend of yours?" he asked, slightly embarrassed from asking a stupid question.

"She was my older sister..." she replied, holding the lilies close to her chest.

"Oh..."

"It's been almost 10 years since I've seen these flowers..." Vivian whimpered quietly, her voice starting to quaver, "...and they're the exact same kind Lillian used to pick for me... She always told me that lilies were a symbol of beauty, hope, and life... Just like she was to me..."

Hearing trembling gasps, Koops looked at her. "You okay?"

She quickly nodded her head, turning her face away. On the soft moonlit ground, he could see tears glistening as they fell from underneath her hat.

The Koopa turned his attention towards the night sky, a sad smile on his face. "I know you really miss your sister... It's such an awful feeling... To lose someone so close to your heart..."

"...What?" She lifted her head, surprised from his sudden dialogue.

A bloom from one of the lilies drifted dejectedly in the sea's bumpy current. Koops watched it continuously waver up and down. "You feel like there's no tomorrow... And yet, it comes... Just like it always has and always will. And you end up having to face it without that person..."

Two more hot tears fell from Vivian's eyes... But they were carefully wiped away as Koops took his hand and caressed one side of her face, using his finger to catch the tear on her other cheek.

"You feel lost and lonely, like no one in world cares for you... But, that's not true, Vivian... You've got us... Mario, Goombella, Flurrie, Waffles, Bobbery... and me..." He blushed. "We're all here to help you..."

Vivian looked at this kind Koopa, her eyes full of hurt and confusion.

Koops' eyes widened in shock as he realized she was now holding him fondly in her arms...

Vivian buried her face in his jacket, squeezing countless tears out of her tired eyes. She wrapped her arms around his warm body, rubbing his sturdy shell and pulling him close.

Slowly, he returned the hug, as she continued gently sniveling. "Oh, it's okay. Just cry it out... It'll make you feel better."

After a few more minutes of crying, she began to calm down and eventually relax. It wasn't long afterwards before Koops could hear her soft snoring. Delicately repositioning the Shadow Siren in his arms, her laid her down on the soft grass, careful not to wake her.

The stars twinkled brightly that night, adorning the sky with their presence. _A warm breeze gently swept through the trees and over the calm shore... For the first time in what seemed like forever, she wasn't alone. As the lilies fell to the ground, the ocean's ebb gently carried them out to sea... Tears sparkled in the nighttime glow. Together in the moonlight, they embraced in passion... _Looking up at the glittering beauties, Koops could feel his own heart swell with happiness, not only over the gorgeous sky...

_...But for a newfound love...

* * *

_

_**Authoress' Notes: **After a bit of researching, I have taken the time to make up a name for Koops/Vivian pairing! I think ShadowShellshipping sounds good! A bit of a tongue twister, but it's just a thought. Nobody out there probably even cares. Monkey Icicle Pops. :P _


	6. Decisions

_**Authoress' Notes:** Okay, now this is where the story really takes off! Enjoy!

* * *

_

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 6:** Decisions

* * *

_

_Ages ago, a city flourished in peace and splendor, but it was destroyed in a single day by an unknown force of darkness and despair. Historians claim a great calamity befell the city, but nay, 'twas a demon. The city sank below ground, and one-quarter of the old city became the demon's den. This demon put fear into the hearts of all men and sent out minions to take the land._

_In order to increase its already formidable power, the demon created the Crystal Stars to hold the essence of the heavens. One of these stars was placed in each country to exert the demon's influence._

_Each star was also a harness to hold the spirits of the demon's seven servants. With its three dragon pets, Hooktail, Gloomtail, and Bonetail, the demon sought to spread fear and sorrow over all. Even now, the mere mention of a dragon is enough to give some the terrors._

_The demon's remaining servants were unlike anything from this world, created with the wicked abyss of nature's elements. Tundra, Lightning, Flora, and Ember were what they were referred to, as no person knew their true names. They were all unknown beings from another world. "Shadow Sirens", they were called, each with a special power. Tundra could cast a daunting array of spells with ice, Lightning had her strength from the thundering sky, and Flora used miasmas from her acidic plants to allure opponents to their grave. Unlike her other sisters, Ember was merely an infant, born near the end of the demon's dark reign. Because of her immaturity, no one was sure of her unique ability._

_Rumor has it that their spirits of the four Stars are the ones that cursed the four brave heroes responsible for destroying the demon. Many a people claim there was an eighth Crystal Star created before the demon was overthrown, but none have ever looked upon it._

_Amongst the Crystal Stars, those of Sapphire, Gold, Emerald, and Ruby were said to be the most devastating of all...

* * *

_

...Vivian awoke with panicked start, feeling something freezing on her head. She looked to see Koops holding a cold cloth.

Her surroundings seemed different, putting her in more of a panic. "W-where am I?"

"We're in the Rogueport Inn," Koops spoke. "You've been sleeping for almost three days..."

Shock could be seen on Vivian's tired face. "T-three days?"

"Yeah. I really thought you were in a coma, or something..."

Vivian groggily rose from her bed. "No, I was just tired. I think it was the poison."

"...Working its way out of your system? Yeah, Goombella said that was probably it. That and stress."

"How're the others?"

"A little worried, but that's expected. They'll be happy when they see you're feeling better."

"...Okay, but..."

"But what?"

"...No offense or anything, but... I need to be alone for a little bit..."

"Oh... I understand," Koops started to leave. "I'll just tell the others you're up."

As Koops walked downstairs, a familiar face came up with a refreshment. Vivian beamed, as it was the friendly innkeeper from last time.

"Hi there... Vivian, was it?" she said. "Great to see you again."

Vivian smiled. "Hi."

The innkeeper Toad set a glass of Fresh Juice on the nightstand and sat on the bed. "I'm really happy you've got some nice friends."

She took a sip. "Yeah... They're all really sweet..."

"They sure are, especially the Koopa."

A grimace appeared on Vivian's face as she choked on her juice. Fortunately, the innkeeper didn't seem to notice.

"You two seem really close," she went on. "He talked about you at the bar the other day."

The straw slipped out of Vivian's mouth. "He did?"

"I'm not one for eavesdropping, but I heard him talk about how much he liked your hair and your smile. It was really precious." the innkeeper sighed dreamily.

"Oh... What else did he say?"

The Toad shrugged. "Like I said, I don't like to eavesdrop, so I'm not sure--"

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by Goombella, convinced that Vivian was now awake. "We're taking a train to Poshley Heights and it's leaving in an hour, so try to get ready."

The Shadow Siren smiled. "Okay, I can go by then."

"Well," the innkeeper stood up. "Time for me to get back to work. I'll see you later."

"Okay..." Vivian finished the rest of her juice.

"And before I forget..." she placed a Peach Tart on the nightstand, then quickly dashed back downstairs to resume her chores.

Smiling, Vivian decided to put the treat away for later...

* * *

Not too long after, she came downstairs, afraid she was keeping everyone waiting. She expected them to be irate at her for holding them up. She could already hear their angry gripes...

"_You're late!"_

"_Vivian, why are you so **slow?**"_

"_If you can't keep up with us, then maybe you should just stay here!"_

"_What kind of a wuss sleeps for three days?"_

"_Why'd you have to come down here so early? We were gonna leave without you!"_

Nervously, she continued downstairs, expecting annoyed glares from everyone in the room. In spite of her assumptions, she was actually welcomed.

"You're looking a lot better, Vivian I think that Tasty Tonic did the trick," acknowledged Goombella.

"I knew it would and I'm glad it did," Koops added, smiling.

"Hello, precious, I'm glad to see you're all right." Flurrie spoke.

"Sheesh, you're worse than Rip Van Winkle. Anyway, it's good to have you back..." Waffles grumbled.

"Ah, Vivian! Feeling better, I presume?" Bobbery saluted.

Mario cheerfully waved at Vivian from across the room.

There were no grudges, no complaints, not even the slightest bit of hostility in their voices. Was it really ture? Instead of turning against her, had they actually accepted her as their true friend? Vivian wasn't sure... But if they still considered her their enemy, they were doing a good job of hiding it.

_

* * *

_

Later on, everyone followed Mario outside and to the west of Rogueport in order to ctach their train to Poshley Heights. Goombella was in front, then Waffles, Flurrie, Bobbery, Koops, and Vivian hanging behind, as usual.

Not five minutes into their trek, a pair of large hands grabbed Vivian from behind. A small yelp escaped her mouth before one of the hands clasped her mouth shut, pulling her into the shadows. Reappearing in a dark alley, she tore away form the offender, only to see it was...

"Marilyn?"

Before she had a chance to further question her sister, Beldam threw her against a wall. "Where have you **_been_**?" she fumed between clenched teeth.

"...Something bad happened on Keelhaul. I couldn't get them..." Vivian knew Beldam wouldn't have cared about her being poisoned, so she tried to avoid it.

A sour frown darkened her sister's face. "I knew you couldn't do this by yourself... That's why I got this freak. At least he's worth _something_..." She gestured towards a strangely familiar foe.

Vivian recognized him almost instantly. He was Doopliss, the same 'monster' Mario had fought to get his identity back.

"Really, I'm trying to get the--"

Beldam looked at Marilyn. In one swift motion, Vivian suddenly fell to the ground grabbing her stomach in pain. She gasped for breath, her eyes tearing up from a forceful blow to her abdomen.

"You will speak when spoken to!" Beldam growled, an apologetic Marilyn looking away from her crippled sister.

With an aching wheeze, Vivian coughed up small drops of blood, watching in disgust and defeat as they dotted the cold, hard ground. Glancing at her hefty sister, Vivian realized the miserable look on her face and knew that Beldam had ordered poor Marilyn to hit her, as she didn't have the physical strength to do it herself.

Doopliss looked nervous. "Did you really have to...?"

"Shut up!" Beldam snapped. "I've had it with your stupid excuses, Vivian! If you don't get those Crystal Stars, do you know what's going to happen?"

Vivian gasped quickly to catch her breath, struggling to answer before Beldam became even more enraged. Unfortunately, she was too late; a forced grunt was strangled out of her, as she felt Marilyn's fist smash into her vulnerable back. Exhausted and throbbing, she fell to the ground in front of Beldam.

"I'm warning you, Vivian; you've got four days! Not one, not 12, FOUR! Freak-in-a-sheet here already though up a plan to stop Mario from getting to Poshley Heights. A sticky, yummy threat or something... But if you don't get those Stars, you will be _**severely**_ punished," Beldam threatened for what seemed like the millionth time.

Grabbing a wall, Vivian forced herself up and leaned against it for support. She placed a hand over her wounded stomach, trying to quell the pain of air squeezed out of her lungs. She took soft, feeble breaths to regain her composure... Unfortunately, she was cut short as Koops happened to appear around the corner. By that time, Marilyn, Beldam, and Doopliss were all gone.

"Hey, I was wondering where you got off to," Koops looked at Vivian worriedly. "...Are you okay?"

Still holding her stomach, Vivian painfully nodded. "...It's just a cramp..."

Koops pulled her up. "C'mon, the others are already getting on the train."

Vivian was about to respond, when she was unexpectedly cut off by a sudden desire to cough. Koops stopped and looked at her, seeing bloodspots splatter on the pavement.

"...Are you bleeding?"

She hastily wiped the blood on her arm and shook her head. "No, it's nothing... Forget it..."

The Koopa nodded, despair evident on his face. Vivian was a terrible liar and they both knew it.

"Well, let's go. They're waiting for us."

"Okay..."

* * *

That being said, Koops led her to the train station in the northern division of the west side. Goombella and Mario stood near the train's door, waiting for the two's arrival. 

"Where were you guys?" Goombella asked.

"She just got a little lost..." Koops answered for Vivian.

She seemed skeptical. "Okay..."

Upon boarding the Excess Express, Vivian followed Koops and Goombella to a room. Walking in, shenoticed that Mario had another member on his team. It was a small, white mouse-like creature, wearing a flashy, red mask and high heels; her slender tail was unintentionally curled into a heart... or, at least, Vivian assumed it was...

"Oh, yeah. You didn't meet her at the inn, because we couldn't find her..." Goombella eyed the mouse. "This is Ms. Mowz, our new partner... But to keep an eye on her... She's tricky..."

The mouse ignored her. "Vivian? I must say, what a delightful name. I wonder if you live up to it."

Vivian was at a loss for words. "Um..."

"I've gotta admit; this place ain't half-bad!" Waffles said, changing the subject.

"I totally love the wallpaper and the carpet is first-class," Goombella complemented, eyeing the fancy interior.

Ms. Mowz stood on the couch. "Are we all supposed to sleep in here? I don't think there's enough room."

"The conductor said there were more cabins, but we'll have to room together. I'm with Mario," Goombella quickly explained.

Waffles frowned. "Why do _you _always room with Gonzales?"

"Because I called him first."

Bobbery stepped up. "Well then, I'd like to share rooms with Flurrie, if you don't mind."

"Yes, I think we'll get along very well together," Flurrie nodded.

Ms. Mowz shrugged. "I really don't care who I stay with; I'll probably be gone for most of the trip anyway."

Waffles turned his head. "Gone where?"

"Hmm... Well, that's for me to know and you to not find out."

"If no one cares, I'll take the mouse; At least she won't be in my way," decided the Yoshi.

"Koops and Vivian are the only ones left, so they'll have to room together... That's okay with you guys, right? We can switch if you want to," Goombella offered.

Vivian nibbled her glove, unsure of what to say in her opinion. "Um..."

"That's not fair! I thought it was 'first come, first serve'!" Waffles butted in.

"I never said that," Goombella snorted.

"Then, let me room with Gonzales!"

"**_I'M_** rooming with Mario!" Goombella retorted, leaping off the bed.

"Gonzales is the leader of this group, not you!" Waffles spat, inching closer to her.

Koops held the two away from each other. "Calm down, guys. Is this really something you should be fighting over?"

Amongst the confusion, Mario picked up a slip of paper on floor and handed it to Goombella, who scowled at it.

"A 'yummy, sticky threat'? What's that supposed to mean?"

Vivian flinched, suddenly tensing up at the revealed plan of the note. Koops took note of her strange behavior, but decided to keep his silence.

Waffles scratched his head. "Uh..."

"Oh, what's all this, now? I thought this was supposed to be a relaxing trip... We haven't been here for five minutes and somebody's already threatening us," Flurrie sighed.

"I think we should tell the conductor. He might know something about this," suggested Ms. Mowz.

Goombella pouted. "Hey,** _I'M_** the one who comes up with all the ideas..."

* * *

Despite Goombella's casual bickering with Ms. Mowz, the team traveled to rear of the train to inform the conductor about their threat. The Toad told them not to worry, as he would keep a lookout for any suspicious activity or, as the note said, 'a yummy, sticky threat'. Knowing the threat was Beldam's doing, Vivian tried her best not to seem suspicious, but she found it to be vexing and unnerving every time someone mentioned it. On their way back to the cabin, couldn't help but notice a small squabble going on in the dinning room, as many of the passengers seemed to be in a serious debate over something. Upon closer inspection, and a bit of gloating from Detective Pennington, the penguin with the improbably large brain, the chef's pot had been stolen from the kitchen. With a little help from Goombella and Ms. Mowz, who seemed to be competing against each other, Mario and the gang found the empty Gallery Pot in a nearby occupant's room. After the culprit confessed to his 'heinous' crime, Pennington immediately decided to make Mario his assistant. 

For the rest of the day, Vivian and the others followed Mario around, continuously going back and forth through the train, asking questions, getting answers, and occasionally receiving gifts from the other passengers for their completed deed. Even though her time was well-spent with Koops nearby, Vivian was slightly disappointed, as she had been hoping for a relaxing train ride to Poshley Heights. Hours flew by like minutes and it wasn't long before the sun's fading rays dabbled past the distant hills, ending yet another day. After finishing his last generous endeavor of support, Mario and the rest took a break in his cabin.

Waffles sighed. "Gonzales, what kind of a rip-off is this?"

Bobbery flopped down. "Old chap,Waffles is most certainly right; I daresay, we'll continue this for the remainder of the trip?"

Mario shook his head, as he pointed out the window at the already starry sky.

Goombella nodded. "You're right, Mario! They _did _start serving dinner an hour ago!"

Everyone except Vivian perked up. "Dinner?"

"Don't we have to pay extra for that?" asked Koops.

"I guess not. If we have that glorious ticket, then everything must be free!" Flurrie replied.

Waffles sulked. "Why didn't anybody tell me this earlier?"

Goombella quickly looked around, realizing something. "Hey, where's Ms. Mowz?"

"Why would _you _care?" Waffles scoffed.

"She could be after the Crystal Stars!" Goombella snapped. "You have to be careful with you trust or they could end up stealing something from you!"

Vivian bit her lip, feeling intimidated from what Goombella said. After all, she was in the same situation with only one disapproving way out...

Bobbery voiced his trustful opinion. "You have a point, my lass, but I trust Ms. Mowz. She may've been a scoundrel prior to my arrival, but she seems like a straight-up ally."

Being the pacifist he was, Koops decided to interrupt. "Hey, why don't we just go and eat for now? I'm sure Ms. Mowz hasn't done anything wrong and she'll probably turn up somewhere."

Koops' relaxed nature seemed to calm the crew down, as all they respectfully agreed with an unexpected 'Well, okay'. With everything settled, Mario left bound for the kitchen.

As Mario and the others walked off, Zip Toad appeared and yanked Vivian off to the side. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Vivian pulled away. "Um, do I know you?"

'Zip Toad' pulled Vivian close, whispering loudly. "It's Doopliss... Come to Cabin 001... I need to talk to you..."

"...What do you... mean?" Caught off-guard, Vivian pretended to be confused, seeing as she and Doopliss were posing very suspicious to on-looking passengers.

It was at that moment Pennington chose to barge in, waving his magnifying glass around hastily. "You! Yes, you! Why, Mr. Zip Toad wouldn't be over here, plotting maliciously with one of his evil henchmen, now would he?"

"Would it kill you to show a little privacy? We're discussing personal matters over here, so buzz off!" 'Zip Toad' spat.

"Detectives like yours truly don't know the meaning of the word! Especially, when there's an unsolved case at hand!" the penguin with the improbably large brain nagged, eyeing Vivian.

The feigning Duplighost shoved Vivian away in disgust. "Fine, I was done talking anyway!"

"What's that jerk's problem? I'd to Headbonk that creep for doing that..." Goombella growled at Doopliss, standing supportive next to Vivian. "Don't worry about him. Trust me, he's the _least _of our worries..."

Goombella smiled, walking off to the dinning room with the rest and the Shadow Siren followed. Seeing a few small tables with two chairs each near the window, each partner sat with their respective equal; Bobbery sat with Flurrie, Goombella sat with Mario, and Waffles sat by himself, as Ms. Mowz was missing. Koops was at an empty table, so Vivian sat with him.

The eccentric Toad waitress appeared and handed out menus._ "Like, wow! You guys are really gonna enjoy our special today: Shroom Roast! Ohmigosh, doesn't that just make you want to die?" _

Waffles slammed his menu down. "Ooh, I want 10 Shroom Roasts!"

Goombella scoffed his outlandish order. "I'll have the Healthy Salad, please. I've got to watch my figure, of course."

Mario nodded at Goombella, then looked at the waitress.

"And Mario wants some Koopasta."

"The Courage Meal for me," Bobbery ordered.

"Ooh, I'd love to try the Shroom Crepe," Flurrie requested.

"Have any idea what you want?" Koops asked.

Shr nervously looked around on the menu. "Um... I think I'll pass... I'm not very hungry..."

"_You're not?"_ the waitress questioned, sadly.

While Vivian continued to read over the myriad of different meals in a fret, Koops whispered to the waitress, who nodded with a smile.

Her mind not completely made up, Vivian put her menu down, a confused frown on her face. "Okay... I think I know what I want now..."

"Sorry, but she already left," Koops sadly informed her.

"Oh, really? Well, it's no big deal. I wasn't hungry anyway..." Vivian placed her head onto the table, looking offended.

"You can have some of my food, if you want," the Koopa offered.

"Okay..." That made her feel a little better.

A few minutes later, the waitress came back with all of the ordered food, placing each cuisine on its individual table. With a knowing smile, she approached Koops and Vivian and set a strange-looking blue thing on their table.

Vivian squinted at it. "What's that?"

"It's Couple's Cake. I thought it'd be nice if we could share it, since it's not meant to be eaten alone. You didn't know what you wanted, so..." he trailed off meekly, worried about her reaction. "Do you like it?"

She smiled. "That was really sweet... Thank you."

"Sure..." He took a small scoop. "You should try it."

Vivian scooped out a spoonful. "It's really good..."

The cake had a lush, sweet taste lingering around it that seemed to melt in her mouth. She'd never eaten anything so tasty, yet so pleasant and satisfying at the same time. The most Beldam had ever let her eat were scraps, Dried Flowers and the occasional Mushroom, while she and Marilyn ate almost anything they wanted. Although, out of the kindness of her heart, Marilyn would sometimes sneak Vivian one of her more suitable meals.

The rest of the evening consisted of mostly small talk. Stories were shared, laughs were enjoyed, and suspicions as to Ms. Mowz's disappearance were aroused. Vivian eyed the others around her, unfamiliar with such sociability and the chattering noises of others in her presence.

The relaxed conversation was different, almost awkward for Vivian. She'd never been around other people, especially ones that actually _tried _to talk to her. Before she joined Mario, her frequent isolations were long and forlorn, giving her more time to constantly worry or ponder her existence profoundly... Beldam rarely made any contact with her and Marilyn couldn't even speak, leaving conversations between the three virtually unheard of.

But for once, ever since the last she remembered of Lillian, Vivian felt like she was not only wanted, but loved. Everyone, including the adamant Waffles, had their own special way of showing generosity...

Finishing off her Healthy Salad, Goombella addressed the others. "Hey guys, Mario said he wanted us to regroup in his cabin before we go bed, so try not to forget it."

Mario confirmed her announcement with a silent nod, then followed her back to his cabin.

Eating the last of her Couple's Cake part, Vivian sighed, content of the satisfying meal. Suddenly, as if she just remembered something, she began to leave.

Koops looked at her in bewilderment. "Where are you going?"

"...N-nowhere..."

"Then, why are you leaving?"

"I've gotta go take care of something..." Without another word, she disappeared into the shadows.

Now Koops was really suspicious. _'Take care of something?' What was she talking about?_

_

* * *

_

A few seconds later, Vivian appeared in Cabin 001 and happened to bump into an unexpected Doopliss, starling him.

"Ahh! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" he asked, slightly annoyed from her unannounced entrance.

"Sorry, I came as fast as I..."

"Whatever... it's obvious you're not doing your share of the work anyway," Doopliss sighed, now exasperated.

Vivian looked like she was about to cry. "I'm trying, really..."

Doopliss cut her off. "No, you're not! I saw you just standing around, acting like you're actually trying to _help_ them!"

"...I... I have to wait until their guard is down, then I'll do it..." Vivian whimpered halfheartedly.

Doopliss pointed out the window at the dusky sky. "In that case, we can do it tonight. Beldam and Marilyn are already waiting at the Riverside Station, so we need those Stars!"

"But... wouldn't it make more sense to... wait until Mario got all the Crystal Stars... then take them...?" Vivian reluctantly said, not meaning her own words.

"We already know where the Garnet Crystal Star is and Grodus has the last one, so that's the least of our worries," Doopliss said.

"Oh..." Vivian sighed, out of excuses.

"Good. Then you get the Crystal Stars from Mario and I'll get ready to blow this train to bits," Doopliss finished.

"Huh?" asked Vivian.

"That yummy, sticky threat I left in Mario's room... I wasn't kidding," Doopliss smirked.

Vivian perked up, a shocked frown on her face. "You're not actually going to do that, are you...?"

"Why not? Even if our plan does work, Mario's not the kind of guy who goes down without a fight. Knowing him, he'll probably come after us, so I'm putting a stop to that!" Doopliss exclaimed.

Vivian shook her head. "But... that might just... hurt Mario... and what about the other passengers...? They're all completely innocent..."

"Sheesh, Vivian... Hanging around those losers made you go soft. Are you on their side now?" Doopliss sighed.

Vivian lowered her head, thoughts of her own treason running through her mind. No matter how she answered, she would be betraying someone...

_She could remain loyal to Mario and the others... yet Beldam would find some way to severely punish her for her disobedience. Her worst fear was that the Shadow Siren of ice would seek out Koops and torture him, forcing her to watch._

_She could go back to her sisters and carry out the plan, as expected of her... but she would lose the trust of those who dared give her, their former enemy, the compassion of a reliable friend and not the disrespect of a useless object._

"Well?" Doopliss inquired.

"...I'll do it, but only if you promise me not to hurt anyone on the train..." Vivian glowered at the bow-tied villain. If she couldn't stay with Mario, the least she could do was save his life.

"You're not in any position to make me do anything," Doopliss shrugged. "But if it'll get you to do your job, then whatever."

"...Fine" Vivian sighed, as she disappeared into the shadows.

After Vivian left the room, Doopliss smiled. "Everything's going according to plan..."

* * *

Back in Mario's cabin, Vivian reemerged almost as fast as she'd disappeared, looking hurt and disappointed. 

"It's about time you came back. Where were you?" Goombella asked.

"...I needed to be alone..." she replied.

Waffles raised an eyebrow. "Koops said you had something to take care of."

Stressed almost to the point of tears, Vivian heaved a loud sigh. "Yeah... that, too..."

Eyeing her worriedly, Koops could sense her hostility from across the room. It was obvious that something was wrong; her normally soft-spoken voice seemed harsh with irritation, her hat was turned in an awkward position on her head, and a vague scowl darkened her face...

Goombella changed the subject. "Well, it's getting late. We've all had a busy day, so let's get some sleep."

"How can you guys go to sleep knowing there's some crazy psychopath on the train, a ghost haunting the cabin next door, and Beldam threatening to come after us?" Koops asked, more focused on getting Vivian to say something, rather than what he was talking about.

"I really don't think there's such a daunting thing as this 'yummy, sticky threat', this nameless culprit speaks of," Bobbery admitted.

"What's he gonna do, throw Maple Syrup at us?" Waffles snickered.

Everyone couldn't help but laugh at the idiotic possibility. Even Mario, who usually observed the commotion in silence, chortled to himself. Like an insignificant other, Vivian stood near the door, not finding the joke funny at all...

_The smiles on everyone's faces... It made her experience so many hurtful emotions at once. Sadness, confusion, envy, anger, fear, uncertainty... It was the feeling of those emotions that told her she didn't belong here. It wasn't her fate, and nothing could be done to change it. Vivian knew that's exactly what she was trying to do, escape her problems by trying to blend in with Mario and his friends... But no matter how hard she tried, it was inevitable. _

_She would no longer try to at like someone she couldn't be..._

Finished with poking fun at the unknown perpetrator, the Yoshi walked out. "Okay, okay... Seriously, I'm going to bed now. Something tells me I'll need it..."

"Night, Waffles," yawned Goombella.

Mario yawned as well and sat on the bed next to Goombella. One by one, every partner said their 'Good nights' and 'Pleasant dreams' as they headed off to bed. Koops bid his nighttime farewell and left with a siren trailing behind him.

Vivian felt like she didn't deserve to walk alongside him... not after what she was planning on doing that night. Koops could sense the tension in the air. His conscious gnawed at him to speak, but she probably wanted to be alone...

Getting to their cabin, Koops sat on the bed and gazed out the window at the bright stars. Fed up with the silence, he finally decided to say something.

"Vivian?"

Distraught, she looked up. "Huh?"

"You okay? You're acting a little strange."

Vivian shook her head. "No, I'm okay..."

"I'm a little worried about you."

"Don't be. There's nothing wrong..."

Koops unfolded the covers of the bunk bed as she rose from sitting. "I'll take the bottom, and you can have the top, if you want."

"That's fine."

"Okay. Good night... I hope you sleep well." He pulled the sheets over himself and turned to face the wall, only his arms visible holding onto the pillow.

Vivian sighed sadly, Koops' amiability starting to make her feel guilty. She went over and sat in the far corner of the room to think.

_She wouldn't do it Beldam... She'd do it for Koops and the others... To keep them all safe from her burden._

Taking a quick glance at Koops to make sure he was still sleeping, she vanished into the shadows to do her shameful deed...

* * *

Emerging in Mario's room, Vivian loomed over the plumber as he slept peacefully in bed. She noticed Goombella was sleeping on the top bunk, meaning she had to be extra careful not to get caught. 

Vivian gently shook the snoozing adventurer in detest of disturbing him. It didn't take long before he groggily arose rubbing his eyes. Confused, he squinted at Vivian, her velvet body blending in with the night.

"Um...Mario... I know it's late, but I've got something to ask you..."

Mario turned his head in curiosity, perplexity strewn over his face.

Swiftly, almost as if it were a threat, Vivian yanked her hat off, throwing it to the ground in disgust at what she was about to do.

He raised an eyebrow and scratched his head, confused.

Throwing her hair back, she looked upon a puzzled Mario, blinking her large, crimson eyes alluringly. Almost instantly, a blank look crossed his face, as he fell under a trance.

"Mario..." she spoke seductively. "You know, it would make me really happy... if you could give me the Crystal Stars. I mean... What do you need them for? It's only for a second."

The plumber froze for a moment, charmed by her captivating voice, then slowly nodded.

She smiled slyly. "Good. Just... hand them to me now."

She watched himwalk like a zombie toward a small table in the rear of the room. Opening a drawer, he searched around absentmindedly for what he had been ordered to fetch. Mario soon turned back around with the aged map in his hands.

Vivian picked up her hat and perched it on the side of her head, making sure her eyes were still visible. "That's very nice, but don't you think you could _show _me the Crystal Stars? Just a peek, really..."

Opening the map, the five coveted stars magically materialized in a cascade of sparkles. Vivian found herself in a silent awe over their rare beauty. She'd never seen them up close before... Their powerful sensation could be felt gracing the air.

Still in astonishment, Vivian went over and grabbed the one closest to her; the Ruby Crystal Star. She couldn't help but tremble from its extraordinary force in her hands. She felt strangely empowered by it... But with that power, came remorse... She looked back at Mario, who was still in a trance, and the other Crystal Stars floating peacefully around him...

_She was so close...Yet so far away..._

The Stars were there within her reach. All she had to do was grab the map and they were all hers...

_But she couldn't do it... __Her heart wouldn't let her._

She looked at the Ruby Crystal Star, her face reflecting in its gemstone surface. It seemed to sparkle sadly as it mirrored Vivian's expression of misery, almost like it knew she wasn't doing the right thing...

She slowly let go of it, watching it float in front of her. _If she took the Stars from Mario, she'd be acting just like Beldam..._

Utterly defeated by her own conscious, she disappeared in humiliation just as Mario came out of his trance.

* * *

Reappearing back in her own room, Vivian covered her face in shame. 

_She hated doing it... _

_She despised it..._

Vivian didn't like acting seductive; it wasn't in her personality and she felt dirty from doing it... Yet, being a Shadow Siren, it was her special ability and last line of defense. Her attempt to take the Crystal Stars had failed and she didn't have the heart to try again.

She sat huddled in the corner of the room, a thousand thoughts running through her mind. What would happen now? Doopliss would probably tell Beldam about her cowardice. Maybe she could tell Mario about their plan and he could do something about it. She suddenly cringed, as she remembered Doopliss could take on the form of anyone he wanted and that she might be next...

"I see you're having a hard time with your unusual predicament. Poor thing..."

She whipped around. "What?"

Distinguished by her remarkable night vision, Vivian spotted Ms. Mowz sitting on the couch, her normally white fur almost entirely shrouded in darkness. Only when the moon peeked past the blurring trees outside could she truly see her and even then, it was only for a split second.

"I know everything, darling. About you, your sisters, the Crystal Stars... Everything..." the mouse whispered, holding a Power Jump badge. Its silver image glistened in the fleeting moonlight.

She narrowed her eyes. "...You wouldn't..."

"What? Tell on you? Sweetheart, I may be a cunning badge thief, but I surely don't rat on others. Excuse the pun," she chuckled quietly.

For some strange reason, Vivian felt herself seething. She didn't understand why she felt _so angry? It was almost as if Ms. Mowz's knowledge of her situation was actually irritating her._

"You seem annoyed, Vivian. Is something the matter?"

With a defeated sigh, she turned to look out the cabin's only window. "...I just don't know who I am anymore. It's like I was destined to suffer..."

"Well, that's not true, I can tell you that much," Ms. Mowz replied, her voice seemingly coming out of the walls as a simulated conscious.

"How would you know? How would anyone in this life know? I've hurt for over 1,000 years... ever since the day I was born..." she muttered, feeling hot tears in her eyes.

"I know because it's fact. No matter how much you think life's not worth it, it is. That's why you were born... So you could experience it. Life is a precious gift to everyone who's ever had it. There are so many things to do, many sights to see, many sounds to hear, and many foods to taste."

Seeing as Vivian wasn't listening or just didn't care, she pulled her trump card.

"...and Koops."

Vivian suddenly flinch hard, her hair abruptly ruffled at the sound of his name.

"Do you not think of him to be a precious gift, considering how fond you are of him?"

If there was one thing Ms. Mowz _was _right about, it was that. Saying or thinking otherwise was foolish... Vivian wasn't sure what it was, or even how it started but she was attracted to Koops. Ever since their last night on Keelhaul, Vivian could feel her heart taking on a strange pulse in her chest... Whenever he was around, she had butterflies in her stomach. She felt secure and valued, yet nervous inside...

"And, to answer your question as to who your loyalty should go to... I think this says it better than anyone could."

Vivian turned around, her face flushed. "What are you talking about?"

In the delicate light of the moon, the sparkling Power Jump badge was thrown into her hands. Vivian looked at it long and hard before she heard Ms. Mowz's faint voice again.

"You belong with Mario... He'll never betray you and we'll all stand by your side until the very end. Like true friends should."

Continuing to stare at the silvery Power Jump badge, she quickly turned her attention to the mouse.

"Of course, I can't pick and choose your better interest. The real choice is up to you..." she finished, walking away. Getting to the door, she looked back at a bewildered Vivian. "I really do hope you find what you're looking for in your decision, my sweet... Adieu..."

Then, almost as fast as she'd appeared, Ms. Mowz was gone, the door somehow untouched in the process.

Vivian looked down, ashamed for being so oblivious.

_How could she have been so foolish? How could she let herself be fooled so easily? Mario and his friends treated her with honor, dignity, and respect. When she was amongst them, she felt like nothing could hurt her._

_Not her painful memories... Not her injured confidence... Not even Beldam... _

She looked over at Koops, who was still sound asleep, clutching his pillow in tranquility. Going over to him, she bent over and hugged him, just to feel his warm sensation. Drawing back in embarrassment of doing such a thing, she blushed.

_Maybe she wasn't ready for love yet, but at least she'd give it a chance..._

* * *

_**Authoress' Notes**: How Mario found out what Star to get next and how he got the tickets for the Excess Express and whether or not he went to Hooktail Castle for Ms. Mowz is irrelevant and very stupid, so I didn't include it! Power Jump is one of my favorite badges, FYI. _


	7. Reminisce

_**Authoress' Notes:** Well, here's Chapter 7 for everybody! I'm glad this story is doing so well! _

* * *

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 7:** Reminisce_

* * *

_...In the wake of its destruction, the demon built a dungeon near its palace and filled it with terrifying monsters. All those who fell into disfavor were thrown into this dungeon to rot... Countless bones and cadavers still litter the domain of this dungeon, under ruling of one of the demon's three dragon pets. She was known only as Hooktail, her very name infamous for the thousands of lives she robbed from so many victims._

_Many a man claim it not coincidence her domain was built near the peaceful Petalburg. Most say it was merely fate, while others state it's because of her love for fresh meat... and Petalburg's sizeable number of residents._

_The sky one day grew dark over the calm Petalburg, putting an abrupt end to all its happiness. The unfortunate town suffered Hooktail's wrath on a regularly basis for thousands of years. Nearly everyone who dared step foot outside was either killed or taken captive... buildings were set aflame and destroyed... bodies of the dead and dying slumped the streets... and the sky remained dark forever._

_What was once a bustling community full of activity and life is now only a shell of its formal self. Its population dwindled rapidly and only a handful of citizens still live there, under the ever-looming shadow of Hooktail Castle..._

* * *

Koops squinted and yawned, disturbed by the sun's bright rays pouring through the nearby window. It was pretty early in the morning, which happened to be his favorite time of the day. It promised not only a fresh, new start, but the clear sunrise outside made him feel so soothed and relaxed. 

Letting go of his pillow, he moved his hand to rub the fatigue from his eyes, only to feel something warm next to him. Not moving his head from its buried position on the cushion, he continuously rubbed his hand over the strange object, trying to figure out what it was. His curiosity finally got the best of him as he looked down to see a weary Vivian, her head resting on the side of the bed with her arms folded in a comfortable position. The rest of her body was coiled together next to the bed, its flexibility keeping her from pain as she slept in a normally awkward posture.

It was a shock, but a pleasure to see her taking rest so close to him in such a devoted fashion. It was almost like she'd collapsed while watching him sleep...

_But she couldn't have been doing that, could she?_

After a few mumbles and mutters, she unknowingly nudged Koops' hand, the feeling of someone next to her being so rarely experienced. In her obviously happy sleep, she slid her upper body up onto the bed and grabbed his arm, clutching on as if her life depended on it.

This brought a grunt out of him; whether if it was one of unease or alarm was uncertain.

It wasn't long before she finally began to stir and yawn. Smacking her lips and clearing her throat, her hat turned to the side to see Koops. Then she looked down to see she was holding onto him.

"Koops! I-I'm so sorry! I mean, I... I didn't mean to... I'm sorry..." She leapt off the bed and cowered on the ground shamefully.

"It's okay, you were just dreaming..." Koops offered her a hand. "Come on, get up."

Vivian looked at his hand, then the floor, then back at his hand again. Slowly, she brought her hand to her mouth and started gnawing on it, looking up at Koops with hidden, but nervous eyes. She slowly pulled her hand away and placed it in his grasp as he helped her up, but as soon as she'd regained balance, she collapsed again.

"Are you all right? You seem a little wobbly today," Koops joked.

"Yeah... I feel fine..." Her voice was enervated and hesitant.

Koops helped her up again. "They're serving breakfast, if you want anything..."

"...Breakfast. Yes, that sounds good..."

Vivian yawned. She was tired, exhausted, and drained. _She'd been up all night, thinking about what Ms. Mowz said, plagued with nightmares of what was to come. She stood over Koops' bed and watched him sleep, barely having a minute of rest... Just a night of self torment._

_

* * *

_

Upon reaching the dining room, a small group of other passengers had already assembled in a line to get food. The strong stimulating aroma of Fried Eggs, Maple Syrup, and sausages gently wafted in the air, gracing the train's corridors with its enticing scent. She could already taste the sweet pancakes in her mouth just from smelling them over on a Toad passenger's plate as he back to his room. Her stomach growled angrily from the desire to have those sweet pancakes and cherish their syrupy flavor, but she ignored it as always.

"Morning, guys," Goombella greeted, holding a plate of the succulent Omelette Meal in her mouth. She set it down and resumed speaking. "Sleep well last night?"

Koops smiled. "Yeah, really good. I almost forgot we've been on a train all this time."

"I didn't get much sleep last night..." Vivian mumbled.

"Had bad dreams?" Goombella smiled sadly.

"Yeah..." she lied. "Bad dreams..."

"Well, you can go back to sleep if you want," said Koops.

"...Really?"

"Yeah. We probably won't be doing much today, so you can rest."

"I've been sleeping too much lately," she joked, trying to change the subject.

"If you need it, then you're not. After all the stuff we did yesterday, I think we all deserve some rest."

"...Thank you..." came her tired reply. She slowly trudged back their cabin, sleeping the only thing on her mind.

_It was nice to actually be able to rest when needed. Beldam always hit her when she asked for a nap, saying, "Sleep is for the weak! Deal with it!" She was used to being tired and hungry all the time. But slowly, all that was changing..._

* * *

Hours later, Vivian squinted in her sleep. She slowly rose from bed, only to be greeted by the faint orange of the sky outside. The imminent dusk dabbed the sky with its usual hues of red and orange; the setting sun's afterglow beamed not far from the flight of steps behind their stop, the Riverside Station. 

Still groggy, she stepped outside the door. It dawned on her that the train had stopped and she proceeded out the open door. Outside, she surveyed the scene and considered it awkward. The staff was busy fueling up the Excess Express for more traveling, Mario and the others were talking to a Toad who kept pointing to a raised drawbridge, and Pennington was lecturing the disguised Doopliss on how bad it was to blow up things, especially with yummy, sticky threats.

Pennington addressed the culprit for the umpteenth time. "Now, you uncouth hoodlum, I shall see that your coming punishment is very severe and lesson-teaching! Do you understand?"

"Pssft... I don't need this!" In a startling poof, 'Zip Toad' disappeared and Doopliss revealed his disgruntled true form.

The nearby conductor fell over. "GOOD GRAVY!"

"What's the meaning of this? Your peculiar transformation tricks won't save you now, if that's what you're thinking, you fiend!" Pennington shouted.

"Oh, yeah? Just try and stop me!" Doopliss taunted, bounding off.

The detective watched him run away with a mixture of confusion and shock. "Oh, well then..." he sighed, walking off. "I may always get my man, but _keeping_ them's the hard part!"

Vivian decided to ignore Doopliss, since his yummy, sticky threat had been foiled. It must've happened while she slept. She went over to Mario and others, hovering beside Koops. Ms. Mowz was also with them for once, though it didn't seem like she had any memory of the talk they had last night.

"Here," said the conductor, handing Mario the key. "You can use this to get inside and see what's causing all this mess!"

"Why can't_ you_ go?" Waffles asked.

"Because as part of the working crew, I have to stay here and guard the train at all costs!" the Toad saluted.

"Why? It's not like it can go anywhere..." Goombella said, noting the lifted drawbridge.

"Look, you guys are the adventures! I'm just a train conductor!" he shooed them off towards the station.

"The old boy does have a point," Bobbery muttered, as they walked up the stairs.

"Oh, Vivian. I didn't know you were awake," Flurrie suddenly noticed.

Everyone turned to see the Shadow Siren was indeed following them.

"I just woke up," she said.

"Good," said Waffles. "You should be up and helping us out, not sleeping the day away."

Goombella rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're so inconsiderate!"

"What? She should!"

Mario ignored the two and opened the doors. Dust and sand scattered everywhere against the old interior of the old Riverside Station. The rundown train station was littered with rotten posters still flapping on the walls and trash cans filled with broken bottles and such. The dull rattling and squeaking of rusty gears in another room added an eerie clinking noise to the already unusual setting.

Goombella coughed. "Eww... I can barely breathe in here! You'd think at least someone would dust once in a while..."

Waffles covered his nose. "No kidding."

* * *

Once again, the endurance of Mario and his partners was put to the test. For about an hour, they walked around the deserted Riverside Station, finding locked doors, looking for the right keys to them and then finding new rooms with even more locked doors. Fortunately, unlike Keelhaul Key, there weren't many enemies to be dealt with or any major threats, making the search for the right key to the elevator in the front room much easier than first thought. The reward for their persistent work was not only the key to start the elevator and a badge or two, but an additional jumping ability for Mario with the brand new Ultra Boots he found in a hidden room.

* * *

Stepping out the elevator, Waffles looked around. "Okay, the switch should be around here and... What the heck?" 

Flurrie grimaced. "Oh. my!"

"What are THOSE?" Goombella grunted in disgust. She gestured toward a large hoard of creepy, shapeless things bouncing around in a fury over something.

"SMORG! SMORG! SMORG! SMORG! SMORG! SMORG!" came the strange blathering of the mysterious black creatures.

Waffles squinted. Amidst the hopping darkness, he could see a large switch in the floor. "Hey, they're trying to hide the lever to the drawbridge!"

"Eww, someone get rid of those things! They're so disgusting!" Goombella complained.

Vivian's eyes went wide underneath her hat. She knew what those things were... The Smorgs were made from the same material she was, except their very beings were mainly shadows and not enhanced with the great power of the Crystal Stars.

She wasn't exactly sure of their purpose, but the Shadow Queen used to create them from dark venom to torture any captives or riots who dared go against her will. They didn't seem to be too smart, as they often went about doing things the wrong way or crashed themselves into walls. That's pretty much all the Smorgs were; a bunch of idiotic, poisonous blobs from the darkness of the evil queen's reign.

Vivian scowled, remembering how their constant chanting annoyed her to no end whenever they attacked someone in their putrid flood of brainless rage.

"Any of you chaps have an idea of how we can do away with these terrible things?" Bobbery asked.

"Maybe they'll leave if we give them Goombella," Ms. Mowz chuckled.

The Goomba shot her an angry look. "THAT'S NOT FUNNY!"

Being the audacious one he was, Mario grabbed his Hammer and attempted to pound on the Smorgs, only to have his mallet taken from him and used as a swinging threat.

Waffles looked on in amazement. "Wow, these guys don't mess around!"

Fed up with having to be in the same room with the Smorgs for so long, Goombella turned to the Cloud Spirit. "Flurrie, do you think you give us a hand and _please_ get these things outta my sight?"

Flurrie nodded. "Certainly! I've have up to here with these scoundrels' bothersome babbling myself!"

Inhaling a quick gust, she blew out a strong wind towards the vaguely shaped critters. The Smorgs were easily blown away, thanks to their frail forms and fact they were unable to tell whether they were coming or going.

Like as Waffles said, the Smorgs revealed the pull lever to the drawbridge outside. Taking back his abandoned Hammer, Mario used it to whack the lever into switching back the other way. It was pretty much clear the switch was linked to the bridge after a small rumble from outside.

Goombella boarded the elevator. "Good, Now that that's done, we can finally get out of this creepy place!"

"Same here!" Bobbery added, also getting on.

"What a shame. Time to go already?" Ms. Mowz asked, boarding sadly.

"At least we had fun," Koops weakly chuckled to Vivian, who smiled.

"Yeah, we did..." she responded faintly.

Mario got on the elevator last and pushed the 'up' button. The doors closed and the pulley brought them back to the first floor, just in time to catch the train ready to go.

...Little did they know of the three ominous figures watching them from the stairs of Riverside Station's backside.

"Um, I don't think your plan worked..." Doopliss whispered.

Beldam folded her arms. "Of course it did, you idiot! Look there." She pointed to the Smorgs making their way to the caboose of the Excess Express. "Their job's not done yet. We only need them to slow Mario down. If we leave now, we can probably get to Poshley Heights in a few hours..."

Marilyn simply nodded, not wanted to get involved in anything.

Doopliss didn't seem too enthusiastic. "Whatever flots your boat..."

* * *

Night was fast approaching on the Excess Express. Mostly everyone seemed to be in high spirits from the success of Mario fixing the bridge. They celebrated by a having a small party in his honor. Unfortunately, Vivian didn't attend the carousing. She instead retreated to her room, like it was strictly forbidden for her to have fun. 

Koops felt like her sorrow was his lament. If she wasn't happy, he wasn't either. He sat sadly in Mario's room, peering out the window. He _could_ go and ask her what was wrong, but he knew her too well to even try. She'd just wave it off and say 'It was no big deal', or 'Don't worry about me'. He sighed. Was there _any _way to get through to her?

"Hello, Koops," someone said.

He turned in a panic. "W-what? Who's there?"

Ms. Mowz stepped forward and bowed. "Don't fret, it's only me."

"Oh..."

"Is there something wrong? You're not at the party."

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm feeling a little tired..."

"Tired, you say? Then why not have a lie down? I'll tuck you in."

Caught in his lie, Koops' eyes shifted around. "Okay, okay. I'm not really tired... Just a little sad."

"How come? We helped Mario save the day yet again and you're sad?"

"It's... complex. And stupid." He shook his head in shame. "You don't wanna hear it."

"Are you feeling uncomfortable talking about it?"

"No, it's not that... I just didn't think anyone would understand."

"Trust me... I understand all," she said, a hint of slyness in her voice.

"Then would you freak out if I told you... that I think I really like somebody?"

"No," the rodent answered, not at all surprised by this.

"Well, I think I am..." He stopped and looked down, overpowered by his own words.

"Does this have anything to do with Vivian?"

Koops smiled sheepishly upon hearing her name. "Kinda..."

"Is she the one... you _really like?"_

"Um... yeah..."

"Well, not that it's any of my business, but I thought Koopie Koo was your girlfriend."

"People think we're together, but... we're not..."

"You mean you don't like her?"

"It's a little one-sided. You see, Koopie Koo... Well, she changed..."

"Oh, reallynow?"

Koops glanced at her, looking hurt. "It's really hard to explain..."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, I feel like I need to get this off my chest..."

"Then, I'm listening."

"You see, my mom... She died a long time ago. Koopie Koo's parents knew my mom and dad, so we've always been childhood friends. But one day, Hooktail got her parents and she never saw them again. Mom felt bad for her, so she let her stay with us. And since we grew up in the same house, she knows how much of a wimp I am..."

"...and that's why you joined Mario? To show her how strong you could be, right?"

"I wanted to get stronger so I could earn more respect from her... So we can be equals, instead of her controlling my every move. Because, I've always loved her... despite how she treats me." Koops spoke more comfortably, although he was slightly frightened by Ms. Mowz's familiarity with his problem.

"Yes. Love is a most splendid thing."

He blushed and fiddled with his hands. "But when I saw Vivian, something just clicked. She's so cute and pretty... I feel like she needs someone to care for her. Her sisters are so cruel."

"That may be true, but Vivian left them and she's with us now."

"...But I don't want her to end up being afraid of everything that moves, like I am. She's too sweet for that. I really did want to be stronger and finally show Koopie Koo I wasn't a wimp, but I think I've found something new in Vivian..."

"And that is?"

"I think... I, uh..." Koops bit his lip. "Well..."

"Go on," she urged.

He sat in an upset silence staring at the floor. _How could three little words be so hard to say?_ He thought. _Why were they so difficult to just breathe out like the rest of his speech...?_ _Why?_

_Because they're powerful,_ he answered himself. _And you're afraid of what might happen. But being afraid all the time isn't going to help either you or Vivian if you don't confront your fears. If you can't do it for yourself... Do it for Vivian..._

"I love her..." came the soft whisper.

Ms. Mowz's eye sparkled, satisfied at his confession. "You do?"

"I know we haven't known each for long, but I really can't stop thinking about her. Please, don't think I'm a stalker."

The mouse laughed. "No, Koops, that doesn't mean you're a stalker. It only means that you're very generous and caring to others."

"It does?"

"Why, if it weren't for you, Vivian would feel so left out. I think she knows you're trying to help, but it's hard for her to cope. Her trust's been broken so many times before."

"I know what you mean. I worry about her... But what if she doesn't like me?"

"I know she does. The thing about Vivian is, she's a lot like a flower; the better you treat her, the more elegant she'll become."

"Really?" Realization dawned on Koops' face. "But... how can I get her to notice me?"

"Well, not to be nosy here... but from what I heard, dear Vivian seems to have lost a loved one long ago. Am I right?"

The baffled Koopa looked appalled. "Yeah, her sister... But how did you--?"

"I know all, my sweet. Don't you worry about that," the mouse simply said.

Koops was beginning to get scared. _How did she know all of this? Had she been spying on them for the past few days? Could she read minds? Or was it all just a lucky guess?_

Seeing the edginess on Koops' face, Ms. Mowz quickly changed the subject. "Maybe you could share with her your pain."

"What are you talking about?"

"The passing of your mother, dear... I know it's a tender subject, but if you show Vivian she's not the only one who hurts, she might feel a little less inadequate."

"That might be true," Koops huffed, false belief in his voice.

"It's common sense, you see. When friends share their grief with one another, they may lament over their loss, but they savor their gain in companionship." She spoke with undoubted certainty.

"You think so?"

"Trust me, Koops; You _have_ gotten stronger. In more ways than one."

He blushed again, trying not to smile. "Oh, well... um, thanks..."

In a flash, Ms. Mowz perched herself on a rafter. "Go on and tell her now... For there is no time like the present."

Koops stared at her in astonishment. This strange mouse knew everything about anything seemed to be pushing him in the direction of Vivian. She agreed with everything he said, reassured his thoughts, and even gave vague hints as to what he was supposed to do. It was like she _wanted _them to be together.

"...Who _are_ you...?" he dimly asked.

"It's not who I am that's important, it's what I do that'll change you for the better," came her fading voice from the shadows.

The train then went through a tunnel, painting the room black for few seconds. When it emerged, allowing moonlight to flood the cabin again, Ms. Mowz was gone.

Koops' mouth fell agape at her disappearance...

* * *

A while later, her entered their room to see the Shadow Siren huddled up on the bed. She didn't notice him come in. 

"Vivian?"

She looked up and instantly faked a smile. "Hi, Koops."

He sat next to her and smiled weakly. "What're you doing?"

"Just thinking about... some things."

"Oh..." He cleared his throat. "Um, Vivian? I need to tell you something..."

"What?"

"Something's been bugging me lately and I feel like talking to you about it... if that's all right with you."

Vivian began to shrink back, afraid of what was to come. "Okay..."

He sighed. "Well, it's kind of like this..."

* * *

_It was just like yesterday, Koops could remember. The day his life changed in a flash..._ It was a beautiful morning _A young Koops and Koopie Koo sat patiently in the kitchen of his parents' house reading the newspaper comics with his father, Koopley._

_Koopley snorted at a comic. **"Look at that one, Koops."**_

_Koops read over it and joined his father in chortling. **"That's so dumb!"**_

_Koopie Koo peeked at the comic and scowled. **"That's not very funny to me..."**_

"_**That's because only men can get this,"** Koops teased._

_Koopie Koo pouted. **"That's not fair! I get it, I just don't think it's funny!"**_

"_**Koops, be nice,"** said an older female Koopa walking into the room. **"Matter of opinion is important, you know."**_

_Koops let his shoes dangle rakishly from his seat. **"Yes, mom."**_

_Koops' mother, Koopana, had a very mesmerizing trace to her sweet beauty. Her pink hair flowed like cherry-coated rivers down her leaf green shell. Unlike most green or blue-eyed Koopas, hers were an unusually tender ruby. She possessed a smile that could warm any cold heart and give hope to the meek. Her wardrobe consisted of a delicate pink skirt with neat frills lined up along the bottom with snow white shoes._

_Koops toddled over and pulled on her skirt. **"Mom, can we go outside now? We did all the chores like you said."**_

"_**You did the dishes?"**_

"_**Uh huh!"**_

"_**Washed the clothes?"**_

"_**Uh huh!"**_

"_**Watered the flowers?"**_

"_**Yeah, mom! We did it all!"** he chirped._

_**"Okay, but try and be careful. Don't go off and hurt yourself." **She cupped a hand to his cheek._

_Koops returned the smile, leaning into her warm palm. **"Okay Mom, I won't get hurt. I promise I'll be extra careful!"**_

"

* * *

**"_Whaddya wanna do today?"_**

_She looked around for a moment, then playfully shoved Koops. **"TAG!"** she proclaimed, running off._

"_**Hey, that's not fair! I wasn't ready!"** Koops called out, running after her._

_Koopie Koo dashed about and hid behind Kroops' Turtley Leaf patch, her green shell concealing her perfectly. Koops soon arrived on the scene and looked around, confused._

"_**Wow, she's fast,"** he thought aloud. **"Where could she...?"**_

_At that moment, Koopie Koo leapt out and shoved Koops again, pushing him over. **"DOUBLE TAG!"**_

"_**OW!"** Quickly regaining his composure, he sat up and pouted. He'd never been good at speed and Koopie Koo practically ran circles around him. She always won when they played tag. _

_Not wanting to play anymore, Koops ignored her and started doodling on the ground with a nearby twig. He drew a picture of a Mushroom with a Goomba chasing after it and Koopa chasing the Goomba. He snickered at this, finding it amusing._

_Koopie Koo soon stopped running around when Koops lost interest in their game. What was the point in mocking his lingering nature if he wasn't going to even _try_ chasing her? She found another twig and joined him on the ground._

_Looming over the occupied Koops, she drew a silly dinosaur chasing after his Koopa. **"That's a Yoshi! I can't get one right now, but when I do, it's gonna be super cute!"**_

_Koops then added a Thwomp chasing the dopey-looking Yoshi. **"Then the Shhwonk Fortress Thwomp of doom will eat it!"** he joked._

_Koopie Koo pursed her lips in thought. **"Then, um... CRAZEE DAYZEE!"** She drew a giant flower with sharp teeth after the Thwomp._

_The sight of an evil flower after a Thwomp after a Yoshi after a Koopa after a Goomba after a Mushroom was more than enough to make the two laugh uncontrollably. How funny it would be if it actually happened!_

_Suddenly, Koopie Koo stopped laughing, as something caught her eye. **"Hey... What's that?"**_

_Koops ceased his laughter. **"What's what?"**_

"_**Something's coming..."** she said indistinctly, gazing behind him._

_Koops joined her in looking at the sky. **"I don't see..."**_

_He stopped mid-sentence as the object Koopie Koo was talking about came into view. It was too far away to tell what it was exactly..._

_**"...What **_**is_ that?"_**

_Koopie Koo continued to peer into the distance. **"Dunno."** _

_Koops then smiled, convinced he knew. **"Maybe it's a balloon."**_

_Koopie Koo made a face. **"I don't think so..."**_

_Amidst the clouds, Hooktail flew closer, her loud snorts echoing menacingly. Her lime-colored eyes quickly darted back and forth, scanning the area for prey. Her sharp, indigo claws dangled limply beneath her belly, stained with blood... dried and fresh. Her mouth hung open eagerly, revealing her blood-spattered teeth and thick tongue, as her nostrils flared in anticipation._

_As she gradually drew near, Koops was able to make her out better. To him, it looked almost like a parade float, or like one of those silly piñata thingies that hung over tree branches for people to hit. _

"_**Everybody, hide! It's Hooktail!"** a Koopa shouted, running away. He was joined by a handful of other Koopas running back to their homes; the sound of doors slamming and locking one after another soon followed. In a matter of seconds, the town became barren and silent, while the "piñata" grew ever closer..._

* * *

_Koopana polished a glass clean and set it on table. **"Koopley, I'm getting worried. Koops hasn't come back in yet. He usually does by this time..."**_

_Koopley smiled. **"Don't worry about him. He's just being a boy! Let him have some fun."**_

* * *

_Koopie Koo looked around, scared. **"Um, Koops? Maybe we should go inside..."**_

_Hooktail was fast approaching them... Despite her large body and small wings, she flew like a jet, claws extended and ready to grab her prey. All of a sudden, Koops was pretty sure he didn't want this thing as a pet anymore._

"_**Yeah, let's go..."** he whimpered, fear evident in his soft voice._

_Before the two could even move, a frightening yelp came from a nearby bush as a Koopa in hiding panicked and jumped out. Like a flash, Hooktail struck. She slammed down onto an unfortunate Koopa, hastily tearing his arm off and eating it. _

_Koopie Koo let out a long and piercing squeal, traumatized by the gore. Lifting her head to the scream, Hooktail smiled deviously at the two. _

"_**Well, well, well..."** her forceful voice growled. **"What do we have here? Even more fresh meat?"**_

_With just three thunderous steps, she stomped over to the terrified Koopas; her humongous head hung low in observation of the pair. __Koops shook like a leaf, Koopie Koo clutching on to him in fright._

_Hooktail was well over 40 feet tall; a living deathtrap was the only word that could describe her at such a close view. Her red-orange scales glistened in the sunlight, the strange curls on her head bouncing around in the breeze. She slowly let down her gigantic nose and smelled them, the inhaling and exhaling wind from her nostrils paralyzing them with fear. _

"_**Hmm,"** she relished in their scent. **"Very good. VERY good..."**_

_By this time, Koopie Koo had already made it back to the house, diving into a nearby couch the second she entered._

_Koopana frowned. **"Koopie dear, what's wrong? Where's Koops?"**_

"_**It was scary and big and ugly and smelly! Make it go away!"** she bawled in a pillow._

_Koopely stood up. **"What was? What's going on out there?"**_

_Koopie Koo raised her head. **"A big, mean monster's outside! It's got big teeth it and smelled us!"**_

_Koopana dropped a dish, it shattered on the ground. **"Hooktail...?"**_

_Koopely dashed to the door and outside. **"Koops!"**_

_Koopana followed, only to have a fleeing Koopa pull her back. She watched Koopely dart over to Hooktail. **"Let me go! My son is out there!" **she cried hysterically._

"_**You're mad!"** the Koopa shouted. **"There's nothing either of you can do now! Run out there like this and you'll both be killed!"**_

"_**I DON'T CARE!"** _

_The dragon eyed him in irritation. **"Don't disturb me while I'm eating!"**_

"_**Get away from Koops! Eat me if you want, just leave him alone!"** Koopely shouted._

"_**No."** Hooktail snorted. She demonstrated her implication by breathing forth blazing fire, just missing him._

"_**DAD!"** Koops ran as fast he legs could carry him go over to his father, but Hooktail's claws scooped him away._

"_**Oh, no... I'm not done with you yet!"** Hooktail bellowed._

_A panicked Koopana watched helplessly as the dragon stomped along behind Koops, Koopely trying to recover from her attack. **"LET ME GO!"** she struggled again._

"_**Please don't do this! It's for your own good!"** the Koopa growled._

_Koops could already hear her frantic snarl and smell her hot, rancid breath on his back. A sopping wet tongue stroked his shell..._

_He grimaced. She licked him! She had actually **licked** him! ...Not only was Hooktail was trying to eat Koops, but she was toying with him! This awful realization triggered a sickening weakness in his legs, as they suddenly lost all feeling and he fell headfirst into the dirt. A gale force wind barreled past as Hooktail leapt over him, spreading her wings and becoming airborne again._

_Koops slid along the ground and then sat up in horror. He yelped agonizingly as he clutched his face in pain. His eyes... something had gotten into his eyes, blinding him. He blinked several times to get the object out, but to no avail. He could feel the tiny particles of soil moving about under his torn eyelid, scratching the tender cornea and stinging the crevasses of his eyes. _

_Everything was starting to become blurry and unfocused. Koops feared he was losing his sight. He couldn't get them to focus... his vision now only projected blurs and nebulous shapes. Blood ran down a deep scrape on the top of his snout and down into his mouth, its sour taste tarnishing his lips. Regardless, he shakily stood and began to hurry back to his house, limping from his hard fall._

_Hooktail turned in mid-air, diving towards the ground. **"You think I'd actually let a tasty little morsel like you get away? HA!"**_

_She made a beeline for Koops, opening and flexing the very tips of her claws. Turning her wings from flat and swift to wide and drifting, she flapped them outward to decelerate and close in for the kill. She was ready and waiting to crush his puny shell and gobble down the entrails for a tasty snack..._

_Something snapped. With a burst of motherly concern for Koops, Koopana yanked free of the Koopa's grasp and ran._

"_**MOM!"** Koops continued to limp, seeing Koopana running to him. She could run much faster... Maybe she could carry him and Dad back to the house._

_The piercing sound of Hooktail's dive sliced through their ears, followed by her snarl and the loud thud of her landing on the ground._

_Everything went black..._

* * *

_...Koops opened his eyes to see only the darkness of his own shell... _

_He waited for Hooktail's teeth to come slicing through at any moment, ending his short life painfully and abruptly... but it never came. All was silent, eerily silent. Maybe Koopana somehow managed to grab him and get back into the house._

_Convinced he was right, Koops slowly emerged from his shell only to realize was still outside, Koopana nowhere to be seen. Then Koopas and Toads alike stuck their heads out windows and doors and started shouting at something... something behind him... even an injured Koopley was yelling at it..._

_Why did he have to turn around? Why did his curiosity get the better of him? Why did his eyes have to be working well enough to see?_

_...He watched in unspeakable horror as his mother was being mutilated and eaten before his very eyes..._

_Hooktail was hunched over, her back to Koops, tearing her limb from limb like a rag doll... She seemed to be enjoying Koops' trauma, as she smiled in glee; her teeth stained with Koopana's blood..._

_...It was like a horrible nightmare with no end..._

_It replayed in his mind's eye over... and over..._

_Koopana's body there between Hooktail's claws..._

_Hooktail smiling that ugly smile of hers..._

* * *

_He sat in his room for what seemed like days after that..._

_He'd been changed..._

_He was no longer a peppy, young Koopa full of life and expectancies... _

_He stopped smiling at the all the pretty flowers spouting outside and around his window... He now found himself mumbling incoherently to other Koopas' when they tried to start conversations with him. He couldn't help but flinch at everything that moved... He just couldn't control it..._

_He would never be the same again... Ruined by the gruesome sight of his mother's death. Not only that, but Koops felt his incident was downcast by the world around him..._

_It was like nobody even cared..._

_The next day, in Shhwonk Fortress, there was a small memorial service held for his mother and two or three other residents who perished, but after that... nothing. Like it never even happened..._

_To make matters even worse, Koopley, the only one Koops felt still cared for him mysteriously disappeared a week later. Hooktail murdering Koopana was the final straw. He set off for Hooktail Castle to finally rid Petalburg of the troubling dragon once and for all. He left his son a note saying this and about how proud of him he was for braving through their loss so well, but Koops didn't care anymore._

_He knew his father would never come back... and he was right..._

_Koops and Koopie Koo were now orphans, thanks to Hooktail. They stayed with Kroops in the meantime, in the unlikely event Koopley would return. Koops was considered lucky to recover from his injuries and regain his sight so quickly... but his left eye, which took the most damage from his fall, never fully healed, nor did the nasty scar strewn across his nose. He placed a bandage over it to at least try to keep it from marking up his face. There wasn't anything he could do for his ruined eye, but he was lucky he could still see..._

_Petalburg wasn't the same after that. Koops rarely went outside, unlike Koopie Koo. She may've lost her parents, but at least she didn't have to see one of them viciously murdered... Hooktail still attacked the town on a regularly basis, and everytime he saw her through the window, he secretly wished she would take him away to join his parents..._

* * *

Koops heaved a shaky sigh, close to tears. It hurt him so much to tell that story... to Vivian, especially. But he felt better at the same time. Like a great weight was lifted from his shoulders for someone else to hear his sad tale... 

He looked up to the sound of her soft sniveling. "What's wrong?"

She wiped away a tear. "Nothing. It's just... I feel so bad."

"Why?"

"Because..." she sniffed back a tear. "You lost your mother in... such an awful way. I don't know if I could bear living with that image in my head..."

"But, what about your sister?" Koops found himself out on a limb from asking such a stupid question.

Vivian smiled sadly, another tear trickling down her cheek. "...I guess that's another thing we have in common, huh?"

"Yeah..."

Vivian lifted her hat slightly to rub a few tears from her eyes. "Don't worry. I'm okay... just a little depressed..."

Koops winced. _Great... Now Vivian was feeling bad. Maybe Ms. Mowz was wrong. Telling her this, it seemed, only made her pain worse. He felt inclined to leave and pretend none of this ever happened..._

Before he had a chance to move off the bed, Vivian's hair graced his cheek ever so lightly, in hopes for a friendly hug. She didn't even seem to be crying anymore.

"Listen..." she broke the unusual silence. "I want to say thanks."

"For what?"

"Well, for lots of things. For being nice to me and... taking care of me when I was sick... and for being so sweet. I really appreciate everyone's help but you... You're different."

"Different?"

"Don't ask me why," she giggled. "There's really something special about you."

Koops didn't say anything, overwhelmed and confused by this new feeling. He didn't know how long they sat there in the darkness together... and it didn't matter, either. All he wanted was for Vivian to feel happy, and if that meant staying up all night to let her perch on him in consolation, then so be it.

"Well, it's getting late. I'm turning in for the night," Vivian stood up after what seemed like an hour later.

"Yeah, you're right," smiled Koops.

He rose from the bed, unaware of Vivian lingering hopefully behind him. She stood by the bed in shy calmness, watching him unfold the covers with a silent, but questioning plea.

Koops looked at her. "What's wrong?"

"Would it be okay if I could... sleep here tonight? It's a little cold sometimes..." she gently asked.

"Oh, sure. That's fine..." he started to get up, but she stopped him.

"No, I mean... We can share it together. That's okay, right?"

Koops went completely red in the face. _Did he hear her correctly?_ _Vivian wanted to _share_ the blanket? Just that morning, she was practically terrified of holding his arm... But now, she actually looked like she _wanted_ to be around him more._

Koops found himself stuttering. "Y-yeah... Sure, we can share it... I-if you want..."

Vivian flashed a smile, one of the biggest she'd ever shown.

Quietly, she slid her lithe body under the covers, her silky tail barely rubbing against Koops' leg. Pulling one edge of the blanket, she tossed the rest over Koops and tugged tightly on her side. Reluctantly, he grabbed his section and pulled it close to his chest. It was like déjà vu of how they spent the night on Keelhaul, but this time, there seemed to be a tender aura in the air... Koops couldn't exactly figure out what it was, nor did he want to.

_Maybe Ms. Mowz was right after all. Vivian felt she was on his level now, instead of being dirt in comparison. Sharing his lament with her was the final wall between the two... Now that it was broken, Vivian trusted him completely. Koops wasn't sure how Lillian died and didn't intend on asking; If Vivian wanted to tell him, she would_

* * *

_**Authoress' Notes:** W00t for Ms. Mowz, the guru of love. Thank you. Goomba Pies._


	8. Devotion

_**Authoress' Notes: **Here's Chapter 8 for ya, but be WARNED! This one's a bit deep and longwinded. There's one part I kinda borrowed from somebody on another website, but I asked permission and do not take credit for it. ALSO! There's a bit of sauciness in the first part! Not enough to run away and scream in horror about, but still saucy! Just a word of advice :)

* * *

_

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 8:** Devotion

* * *

_

_Koops slowly opened his eyes to the sound of birds twittering around him. He sat up to realize, instead of on the Excess Express, he was in Petal Meadows. The sky was clear and blue with only a few lazy clouds hovering around._

_He stood in confusion, brushing the flowers off his jacket. **"...What's going on? How'd I get here...?"**_

_"**I brought you here..." **_

"_**Huh?"** He turned around to the heavenly voice. __If it weren't for her red-and-white striped hat, he never would've guess who this entrancing beauty was..._

_Amazee Dayzee petals were sprinkled in her hair, giving her entire body a dazzling glow of vitality as it swayed in the wind. The soothing breeze graced her adoringly, with her diaphanous dress of white fluttering like ripples in a stream. It gave her the appearance that she was floating above the ground, like an angel. Her silky gloves traveled up to her elbow and ended with a lacy pattern of flowers, which matched perfectly with her gown. She even had on Flurrie's favorite necklace and wore it well._

_**"Vivian?" **Koops found himself walking to her in disbelief of how gorgeous she looked._

_She smiled. **"Yes?"**_

_He gently grabbed her hands, his actions driven by an unknown force. **"I... have to tell you something... really important..."**_

"_**What is it?"**_

_He took a deep breath. **"I... wanted to tell you that I... I love you... so much. I really do..."**_

_Vivian nodded knowingly. **"I know, Koops. And I love you, too..."**_

_His heart skipped a beat.** "Y-you do?" **_

_She tugged on his jacket's collar. **"Yes... With all my heart..."**_

_Koops was ecstatic. He didn't know what to say. It was so easy... Just like that, he told her how he felt and she accepted. Unfortunately, he never planned it to go any further. What was he supposed to do now? _

_Her tail began to wrap around his legs, but he didn't mind; it was merely a sign of affection._

"_**I've always loved you. I just wanted to wait for the perfect time and the perfect place to say it..."** she continued, her tail growing tighter around Koops' legs._

"**_I did, too. But I was scared you'd say no... because I'm such a weakling..."_**

"_**Of course not..."** Vivian whispered. __She held his cheeks and kissed him on the nose... It seemed like an eternity before she let go._

_Afterwards, Koops was finding it hard to stand from such an overwhelming shock. **"...W-what?"**_

"_**What's wrong?"** She smiled. **"Didn't you like it?"** _

_Koops was stupefied. **"I-I... y-you and w-we just... a-and... b-but i-it's..."** _

_She put a finger to his lips. **"Shh... It's okay. We're together now and nothing can ever pull us apart. Right?"**_

_**"Y-yeah..."**_

_He winced painfully as Vivian once again tightened her tail around his legs and now his waist. At this point, it was really beginning to hurt... _

"_**And now that we've finally gotten this thing off both our chests, we can explore our feelings even deeper..."** She spoke with a hint of treachery._

"_**Huh?"** _

_It now dawned on Koops that something about Vivian defiantly wasn't right. She seemed more... devious than her usual timid self. What was wrong with this picture?_

"_**Don't worry. Just relax and everything will be over in a minute..."** Without warning, Vivian pinned Koops to the ground and began kissing him again... Except it was a lot harder..._

_He pushed her off and coughed nervously. **"Hey, wait a minute... Don't you think we're kinda rushing into this?"**_

_**"No... We're only expressing our feelings to each other in our own special way..."**_

_**"But not like this..." **Koops tried not to look at her. **"It's not right." **_

_Vivian glowered under her hat. **"What? You mean you don't love me?"** _

_Koops knew that wasn't true. He loved Vivian with all his heart and more, but wasn't ready to start such an... intimate relationship. **"We should wait... before we end up doing something we'll regret--"**_

_Before he could finish, a sharp noise sounded, then a cutting pain stung his neck..._

"_**Ow!"** Koops threw Vivian off again, but in pain this time. He rubbed a sore spot on his neck and frowned at the warm, thick substance he felt upon it. Looking at his hand, stared in horror at what he saw._

_The tips of his fingers were coated... with drops of blood... _

_Did she... Did she just_ bite_ him?_

"_**I'm not taking no for an anssswer!"** Vivian hissed._

_...Hissed? Vivian _hissed_ at him? ...What was happening? _

_The Shadow Siren's grasp had gotten to the point of almost crushing Koops. He coughed and sputtered as the weight of a Thwomp was slowly forced onto his lungs..._

"_**Vivian... what are you... doing?"** He struggled to breathe against her grip. _

"_**I'm doing what I do to all my victimsss,"** came the sadistic reply. **"If you're not going to cooperate, I might asss well crusssh you..."**_

_Koops tried not to hyperventilate over her malicious threat. **"W-what? You can't be serious... You're joking... right?"**_

_She towered over him imperiously, a nasty forked tongue licking out between her lips. **"Oh, how I wisssh I wasss..." **_

_Vivian emphasized her point by tightening her hold. Fortunately for Koops, his smooth shell enabled him a sleek escape from the crushing grip. Free from her wrath, he sprinted off into the flower field... Or at least, that's what it used to be. It now resembled a battlefield; a barren wasteland for the dead and dying. The trees and plants were all horribly distorted, with the sky an ugly purple. Ominous black clouds crept about, overshadowing him with misfortune and despair as he ran._

"_**You cannot essscape!"** Vivian hissed from behind, her voice leaking with poison._

"_**Vivian, listen to me!"** Koops shouted, not looking back.** "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I'm not your enemy!"**_

"_**No, Koopsss, you're not my enemy... YOU'RE MY PREY!"** She dove for the fleeing Koopa, but missed and crashed into the ground. _

_The resulting shockwave caused him to trip and fall hard. As he rolled about on the ground, trying to regain balance, a long shadow hovered over Koops. Terrified, he looked up to see that this nightmare was only beginning..._

_Vivian was now a giant cobra, nearly 50 feet tall and glaring down at him. Her hood was inflamed, revealing a thick, lavender underbelly beneath her shiny, black scales. Her mouth was wide open in an ugly sneer, laughing at him madly while a blue tongue flickered about angrily. The teeth in her mouth were all so sharp and pointed, the longest ones oozing black acid. Her pupils were single dark slits, unmoving from their target. _

"_**This isn't happening... This can't be happening..."** Koops whimpered. He could already feel the tears stinging his eyes not only from disappointment, but fear..._

_Throwing her head back, Vivian started laughing. **"It'sss sssuch a pity to sssee you like thisss... I though you'd be more of a challenge to catch!" **Her now demonic voice vibrated. _

_Koops got up and continued r__unning as fast as he possibly could.__ His eyes darted around in a panic, looking for somewhere to hide, someone to help, a sign of reality to this madness... Anything..._

_**"You cannot get away!"** boomed Vivian, her long body snapping like a whip as she dashed after him._

_After what seemed like hours of listening to her maniacal laughter, Koops finally noticed Goombella standing out in the open, her expression vague and monotonous. __Surely, **she** could help. Maybe she'd give him a good Headbonk and tell him this was all just a terrible nightmare..._

"_**Goombella!" **he panted.** "Thank goodness you're here! Look, Vivian... She went crazy and... I mean, we were talking and stuff... and she just..."**_

_The Goomba kept looking off into the distance with the same eerie dullness. **"Did this 'talk' include holding hands?"** she asked, sounding like a broken record._

_Koops backed away in horror. **"...What?"**_

"_**You have to be careful with who you trust or they could end up stealing something from you..."** she smiled menacingly with the same lackluster appearance._

_By this time, Koops was hysterical with panic and anguish. He felt like he was about to lose the little bit of sanity left in his already crazed mind... _

_He shook Goombella in desperation. **"Tell me Vivian isn't a snake! She's NOT a snake! I... I know she's not..."**_

_Suddenly, a huge shadow loomed over him, black acid hissing on the grass near his feet. **"Ssshe can't help you know, Koopsss... NO ONE CAN!"**_

_Koops turned around in time to see his reflection in Vivian's ugly fangs just as she launched herself towards him. He jumped into his shell to quickly shoot out of harm's way, but Vivian predicted this and violently slammed her jaws shut around him. She jerked her head back and tried to swallow her meal, only to realize nothing was in her throat and something was keeping her mouth from completely closing. Koops managed to grab the roof of her mouth and, using all his strength, gradually push it back open. Vivian's forked tongue licked around his body, hissing and growling at him like mad. Her hot breath reeked of sour venom, burning Koops' eyes and scorching his skin. _

"_**Vivian..."** he gagged from the noxious fumes, **"Stop it..."**_

_She put more pressure into her jaws, feeling his strength dwindling. **"You're ssso gullible, Koopsss... I can't believe how easssily you let your guard down..."** _

_Koops shut his eyes in pain. No... he never let his guard down and he wasn't at all gullible. He was trying to be_ nice_ to her... _

_But... was it really as a friend or something else?_

_He didn't have time to ponder, as he was slowly being crushed. He opened his eyes again to see Goombella standing in before him, under Vivian's forked tongue._

"_**I tried to warn you, but you didn't listen..." **she mocked, a smug look on her face.** "And now, you're going to die. Poor you..."**_

_She started laughing manically, her evil snickers echoing in Vivian's closing mouth. _

_It continued... the disdainful scorn continued on until the darkness came... __and it consumed him, with disgusting pleasure in the fright of his last scream...

* * *

_

"**NO!"** Koops sat up in a cold sweat, his throat dry and aching. Panic-stricken, he looked around to realize he was back in his room on the Excess Express; the subtle clatter of the train's machinery creating an eerie feeling to the sudden hush of realism.

_It was morning again... This was their final day on the Excess Express._

Sighing, Koops placed a hand over his face, the shock still wearing off from his nightmarish delusion. He looked around again to notice Vivian still sleeping soundly, if not awkwardly, in the bed. The sheets and covers were wildly ruffled and trailing onto the floor almost like there'd been a struggle prior to his awakening. Nonetheless, her slender body was curved with the lopsidedness of the bed, while her snoring consisted of a soft hiss from her inhaling and exhaling... almost a like a snake's.

He turned away...

_Vivian wasn't a snake... It was only a bad dream. Everyone has bad dreams at one time or another and he was no exception. It was impossible for her to be something so fierce and cold-hearted. She had a warm, gentle character..._

His mind wasn't completely convinced, but Koops figured he would eventually come to his senses and understand how stupid it was to compare the siren to a lowly serpent.

He stood and picked up Vivian, placing her back into a normal sleeping position and throwing the covers over her. She added to this by grabbing the blankets and wrapping herself in them. As he looked upon her sleeping form, the dream came to mind again and he shuddered.

...Out of curiosity, he carefully fingered her jaw...

_What are you doing? Checking to see if she has fangs?_

Koops stopped. That _was_ what he was doing, wasn't it?

_Why check? You know she's not a snake,_ he told himself. _You're an idiot..._

The Koopa sat up and frowned. What was he doing? Researching Vivian like some kind of a science experiment? Why was he worried about what her teeth looked like? Was he losing his mind?

A sudden chill fell upon the room, creeping up and down Koops' spine and shell. Everything had become so deathly cold and uncomfortable in the last few minutes; the frosty air was practically dripping with heartless repugnance. Maybe he was thinking too much...

_...Or maybe he was **obsessed**_ his conscious taunted.

With a sigh, Koops rose from leaning over the Shadow Siren and quietly exited the room. If there was one he _did_ know about Vivian, it was her habit of sleeping for nearly a day.

* * *

This particular morning was quiet and uneventful. There was nothing to do, not much to see, and nothing was happening. Everything was so calm; the muted chugging of the wheels and the constant bumping of the train traveling the tracks was so relaxing. If listened to long enough, it would eventually lure them to sleep. Koops, on the other hand, found this noise to be stimulating as he sat in the dinning room pondering over the one thing about Vivian he couldn't figure out... 

_Why was he in love with her?_

...He couldn't give himself a straight answer, just a vague assumption as to why.

_Well, she was pretty cute... and a pleasure to look at... **But why? **_

Maybe it was because of her species. Vivian _was_ a Shadow Siren and sirens were infamous for their deceitful attitudes and tricks. They were strikingly lovely women who lured men to their deaths with their captivating looks and never got along well with other females... Could that be the reason why her sisters always picked on her?

_But Vivian was so innocent. She hadn't done a single dishonest thing since she joined up with Mario, not to mention that she probably didn't have it in her. _

Thinking back for a moment, Koops remembered something. It was about the ancient legend of the Crystal Stars. It was hazy, but he seemed to remember hearing about a trio of Shadow Sirens and the curses they placed on people when he was a toddler's age. By the time he'd been brought into the world, the legend was just a myth that no one took seriously. But he knew he'd heard of them somewhere before...

"Hey, Koops," Goombella called, snapping the Koopa out of his thoughts.

"Oh, good morning," he faintly greeted, finding himself reluctant from her scary role in the dream.

Joining him over in one of the window-side tables, she set her Fresh Juice down. "Where's Vivian?"

"Still sleeping. I didn't want to trip over something and wake her, so I came in here."

"I don't think you're _that _clumsy." She sipped her Fresh Juice. "So, are you bonding well with her?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. I saw you two snuggling together this morning..." Goombella smirked knowingly.

He started to panic. "...Oh! Please don't tell anybody else... I... We were only talking... and... then..."

"Stop freaking out. You know it's not a big deal. I'm just glad Vivian's finally beginning to warm up to you."

"Yeah... All she needed was a little time."

"Why don't you go wake her up and tell her breakfast is ready? She must be hungry."

Koops looked toward their cabin uneasily. "You think I should? I mean... she's still sleeping and..."

Goombella pushed him away from the table. "Oh, go on! You know she won't mind. I think we're the only ones awake, so we get first dibs on all the good stuff!"

"Okay, okay... I'm going..." He watched Goombella walk back to her seat and motion for him to go before he continued to their room.

On the way, he passed a few of his other partners coming out to get breakfast. He greeted each one with a "good morning" and received friendly salutations in return. Arriving at the right cabin, he peered in to check and see if Vivian was still sleeping.

He gently knocked. "You awake?"

Perched on the couch, Vivian flaunted her glowing hair and smiled. "Oh, there you are. I was starting to wonder where you where."

_Her face was different somehow. It seemed more happy. Vivian's smiles were usually more fake or halfhearted, but this one was sincere..._

"I went to get some breakfast," he replied. "You want anything?"

"Well, a Couple's Cake would be nice," she answered, twisting a finger in her curls. "The one from the other night was delicious."

"Um, okay, we can get that...if you want..."

"Are you coming with me?"

Koops gulped. _Why was he so nervous?_ "S-sure..."

"Good, let's go then." With that, she shyly led him out and down the hallway.

_How strange..._ _The Vivian he knew before last night was nothing like this one._ As awkward as it seemed, she actually looked much healthier than before. Her silky skin was more flourished and her lips were glossier; her entire body had a stronger texture to its already dainty shape. Comparing Vivian to herself upon their first meeting, she'd undergone a complete transformation in only a few days' time. It left Koops puzzled and, at the same time, content of her amazing progress...

_

* * *

_

Upon reentering the dinning room, Koops suddenly stopped and frowned. Something was wrong...

Aside from Mario, Goombella, Flurrie, Waffles, and Bobbery, no one else seemed to be in the normally hectic dining car. Ms. Mowz was the only exception, her disappearing skills anything but unusual at this point.

"What's going on?" asked Vivian. "Where is everybody?"

Goombella shrugged. "That's what I'd like to know. I thought everyone would be awake by now."

"Well, we stayed up pretty late last night, so they could still be sleeping," said Flurrie.

Although farfetched, that could've been a possibility. Then again, most of them had been guilty of staying up even later than most of the staff...

The dinning room was usually quiet as everyone sat scattered at several different tables, due to the lack of other passengers. The occasional clanking and scraping of utensils on plates were the only noises heard in the silent refectory. Not even the jovial Chef Shimi was in the kitchen, cheerfully cooking up dinner.

Goombella eyed the nearly empty area. "What is going on? It's already past noon and no one's even _walked _past here..."

"Maybe they've already eaten," Bobbery suggested.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't even seen anybody else since last night," Koops said. "It's like everyone just vanished into thin air."

"Who cares? That means more food for us!" Waffles said, taking a bite out of his breakfast.

"Pfft, that's so immature of you! Come on, Mario, let's go tell the engineer about this. He might know something."Goombella stood up, the plumber follwing her.

Waffles finished his food. "I still say it's no big deal. What could possibly get them? Those Smorg things?"

Flurrie shuddered. "I sure hope not."

"What do you propose we do while you're gone?" asked the salty Bob-omb.

Goombella checked her surroundings one last time. "You guys can keep an eye out if anyone shows up. We shouldn't be too long."

"Sure thing," Koops answered.

Vivian gently tugged on his sleeve. "You think something bad's going to happen to us?"

"I don't know, but don't worry about it. Whatever it is, Mario'll handle it..."

"Yeah, Gonzales has it all under control! No problem!"

"For all we know, it could be a surprise and everyone is actually hiding," Flurrie proposed.

"Yeah," assured Koops. "I bet they're going to jump out right about..."

No sooner had he spoke, the windows all throughout the train were suddenly darkened with black, splotchy blobs, all with their familiar uttering: "SMORG! SMORG! SMORG! SMORG! SMORG! SMORG! SMORG!"

Bobbery glared at the Smorgs, appalled. "What the...?"

"Guys!" Busting through the door, Goombella practically tripped. "It's those... those _things _again! We were just talking to the engineer about where all the passengers went, then they took over the entire window!"

Waffles pointed outside. "Dude! They've taken over the entire train!"

Horror darkened her face. "You mean they're all over the _train?"_

The Yoshi rolled his eyes. "Isn't that what I just said?"

"But how are we ever going to stop them from in here?" Flurrie though out loud.

"Oh, that one's easy."

"Huh?" Everyone looked over at the window-side tables to see Ms. Mowz with a Mushroom.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Goombella demanded.

"Oh? What was that now?" Her ears twitched wildly. "Well, that's odd. I could've sworn I heard strange noises coming from inside the baggage car. Anyone else hear that? No? Maybe it was just me, then..."

"...She could be right, guys..." Koops said. "There might be some kind of back door in there."

"C'mon, let's go already! We can't stop 'em if we stand around here all day!" the Waffles nagged.

The Goomba obviously wasn't convinced. "How do we know she's not lying?"

"_She's not! Come on!"_ Everyone collectively shouted, pushing her out.

* * *

By the time the group arrived in the baggage car, like Ms. Mowz said, Smorgs were pouring in through an opening leading from outside. The conductor and waitress scrambled amongst the madness to avoid the relentless attack of the black smudges, but ended up getting caught in the melee as well. There were so many Smorgs cluttering the room, it seemed like the very floor was moving. Despite the fact they were seriously outnumbered, Mario and the others attempted to at least get the Smorgs out the train. Unfortunately, they soon found out the annoying, black creatures were anything but to be underestimated. 

"There's too many of 'em, Gonzales!" Waffles shouted, throwing an egg at the swarm of darkness.

Bobbery toppled over another clump of Smorgs with a forceful explosion. "I hate to say it, but I think we're outnumbered!"

"**_Oh, my gosh! They're like, everywhere and stuff!"_** the waitress squealed, wielding her silver platter around and smacking a few Smorgs.

As things went from bad to worse with Smorgs coming in by the thousands. From prior experience, Vivian knew only bright and hot things were their true weakness, the most effective being fire. Raising her hand, she quickly snapped her fingers; a quick burst of her smoldering flame stunned the Smorgs as they screeched in pain and bounded out the opening from whence they came.

Waffles dropped an egg, poised to throw it. "Wow, Vivian... We tried everything to get those things out of here! How'd you know that was going to work?"

"Smorgs don't like hot, bright things so... I figured that'd do the trick," she explained.

"But how did you know that?" Flurrie asked.

"Lucky guess?" she lied.

The conductor helped the waitress to her feet. "Whew... Thank goodness those creatures are gone. Are you okay?"

The Toad waitress dusted herself off. _"I'm alright, but whatever that stuff was took the rest of the passengers!"_

"I knew this place seemed a little _too _quiet today," Waffles said in a facetious manner.

Jumping across a few crates, Mario grabbed onto a thin ceiling pipe behind a mess of disordered luggage. He shimmied over to the Smorgs' escape route and to the top of the train. Obediently, everyone followed him out the back door and climbed a ladder leading to the roof.

* * *

On top of the speeding Excess Express, cold air blew fierce and strong in everybody's faces, making it hard to breathe. Trees and rocky cliffs whisked by in the distance, seen only as a jumble of green and brown blurs every few seconds. Like a plague, the ever-daunting amount of Smorgs raged around the train's exterior in annoyance of their continuous defeat. 

"...Okay, Mario..." Goombella said, a tinge of fear in her voice. "No sweat, right? We can take these guys. It's no big deal, right? ...Yeah, it's no big deal..."

Waffles pushed her. "Stop acting like a wuss!"

"I'm not acting like a wuss!" She spat. "...I'm just trying to be careful..."

"Guys, save the fighting for that thing, okay?" Koops coolly spoke.

"Fine!" Goombella pouted. "Let's just get this over with..."

The raging battle with Smorg proved long and difficult. The enigmatic eyesore would occasionally grow three tentacles full of passengers and attack with them, dealing large amounts of damage to sometimes multiple partners. Throughout the battle, it changed into different forms, one of which resembled a crane that thrashed about in desperate attempts to crush its opponents. After several exchanges of powerful blows, and a few helpful hints from Goombella, Mario's crew soon figured out the Smorgs' attacking pattern, all the while, gradually whittling its energy down to a sparse level. Not long afterwards, the Smorgs and its Miasmas finally gave up the fight and detached from the roof in dizzy, clusters, the wind carrying them off to destinations unknown. Promptly following the grotesque monster's celebrated defeat, it left behind the captive passengers; no one seriously injured by the escapade. With all hands present and accounted for, they gladly followed Mario back through the back door to resume their regular train schedule in peace.

As always, Mario received the many thanks, gratitude, and comments of "I can't believe you did that!" from the locomotive's customary residents. They spent the rest of the congratulatory voyage with chitchat and gossip about the earlier skirmish, from both the fighters and the victims.

* * *

Several hours later, the train came to the stop everyone'd been waiting for: Poshley Heights. The relieved travelers all disembarked gladly, afraid the longer they stayed on, the more likely something weird was about to happen. 

"Finally! I thought I'd never get off that crazy train!" Goombella sighed loudly, accompanying the others in walking down an exquisite stairway into the central metropolis.

"Quit whining. It wasn't that bad," Waffles retorted.

Goombella glared at him. "What?"

Koops separated the two. "C'mon, stop it... We need to get Crystal Star, remember?"

"Can we find it _after_ I cream Waffles?" Goombella growled.

Not being one for pointless fights, Mario walked on into the ritzy town to look for the star himself, as Koops and the others tried to quell Goombella and Waffles' fighting. It wasn't long before his posse realized he was gone and, abandoning their squabble, ran to catch up with him. They soon came to a large building in the edge of town.

Mario looked at the map then showed it to Goombella, who confirmed his assumption with a nod. "Yeah, that's the Poshley Sanctum. You think the Crystal Star's in there?"

"Well, what are we standing around out here for? I say we go in!" Waffles demanded.

Koops pointed to a padlock securing the handles. "I don't think we can. The door's locked..."

Suddenly, Goombella's mouth dropped. "Aw, come on!"

Flurrie glanced at her. "What?"

The Goomba scowled at a letter tacked on the door. "There's a note here that says the manager of this place went on a vacation and won't be back for two weeks!"

Waffles grabbed Bobbery. "Don't worry about it! We can use Captain 'Stache here to blow the door open!"

"Unhand me at once, you little ruffian!" the admiral fumed. "Breaking and entering is strictly beyond my policy _and_ illegal!"

"He's right, Waffles. Don't do anything crazy..." Koops warned.

Goombella pulled on the padlock, sticking her tongue out at its awful, metallic taste. "There's gotta be some other way to get there..."

"Ah, Luigi and company, I presume!"

Everyone turned their heads to see Pennington walking up the staircase, a ring of keys in hand. "Are you trying to get in, or something?"

"No, we're trying to blow the door down," the Yoshi dryly replied.

"It's no use. We _do_ need to get in, but the door's locked and the manager's on vacation!" Goombella demonstrated by pulling on the lock again, gagging at the aftertaste.

"Luckily for you, I happen to be that manager, this happens to be my domicile, and my vacation happens to be over!"

"But I thought you were a detective," Koops said.

"Only on the side, you see," Pennington answered, unlocking the door. "It puts bread on the table, so I guess you could call it a hobby of mine."

"Some hobby," Waffles curtly remarked.

Entering the sanctum, everyone quickly found themselves shocked to see none other than Beldam, Marilyn, and Doopliss huddled around the sparkling star at the far end of the building.

"It looks like you're too late, Mario!" Beldam cackled as she grabbed the Crystal Star. "I'll be taking this, if you don't mind!"

"Hey, put that back! It doesn't belong to you losers!" shouted Waffles.

"How about **NO**?" Doopliss taunted. "You can't touch us now, Slick! We've beaten you to the punch! Why, I bet you--" Beldam whacked him over the head with the Crystal Star.

"Shut up! We got what we've come for, so we might as well be off. There's no point trying to argue with the likes of you idiots." She glowered at the younger sister, who cowered beside Koops. "And as for you, Vivian..."

"Beldam, I..."

"Don't bother coming back with us... EVER!" Vivian flinched at her harsh tone. "I've seen more than enough betrayal from you to know whose side you're really on... Not only have you disgraced your own kind, but you've insulted our very _sovereign!"_

"I'm... I'm sorry..."

"Is that all you can say? 'Sorry?' I swear, you're like a broken record; Useless _and _repetitive!"

Vivian turned away, more embarrassed than ashamed of being yelled at in front of her friends. "Please... stop yelling... I'm..."

"Oh! Let me guess! You're _sorry!_ Am I right?"

She didn't answer.

"I said, **AM I RIGHT?"**

"Leave her alone!"

Everyone looked at the Koopa in shock, impressed by the startling occurrence. Vivian joined them gawking, mouth slightly agape from his stroke of bravery.

Beldam frowned. "What?"

"I said... leave her alone," he repeated. Despite his conscious insisting him to stop, Koops tried his best to look and sound stern. "Why are you always picking on Vivian like that? ...What'd she ever do to you?"

Goombella backed him up. "You're probably just jealous she's not there for you to torture anymore!"

"Yeah! Lay off! Vivian's on our side now, so deal with it!" retorted Waffles.

"At least Vivian is warmly welcomed with us, you vile thing, you!" Flurrie added.

"What kind of sister treats her own flesh and blood with such brutality?" Bobbery joined in.

Vivian gazed upon these individuals protecting her. They were all so idiosyncratic, but worked together as a team. She couldn't believe how eagerly they came to her aid._ Only true friends did things like that..._

Beldam scoffed. "You mean you're actually _standing up_ for that pathetic little worm? Either you're extremely foolish, or extremely desperate to ever show sympathy for such a worthless failure!"

"And you must be pretty stupid if you think we're gonna let you get away with the Crystal Star!" Waffles threatened, making a mad dash for the trio.

Unfortunately for the headstrong Yoshi, Marilyn was able to grab him before he reached his target, holding him up and away from the elder siren.

"Hey! Lemme go!" Waffles struggled, hanging by his diapers in her grasp.

"You can keep that traitorous wench... Let her drown in her own sorrow for all I care. Marilyn, Freak-sheet, let's get out of here... and leave that nuisance for these losers to deal with!" Beldam disappeared into the shadows with the star.

"Guh-huh..." Marilyn followed her, dropping Waffles in the process.

"Hey! HEY! Stop it! You guys know I can't do that! Wait!" Doopliss jumped out the broken window in a panic.

Waffles shook a fist. "Yeah, you better run, wusses! Or else Gonzales'll kick your sorry--"

"Don't listen to her, Vivian. She's just a _big jerk who doesn't care about other people's feelings!" _Goombella shouted, more towards Beldam than speaking to her.

"Yeah, forget about her..." Koops consoled.

"All right..."

"Hmm! Yes, well, I have absolutely no idea what just transpired here, but I can deduce that it might've pertained to the young lady in the red and white hat!" Pennington announced.

"Thanks for the update, Sherlock," Waffles replied sarcastically.

"But how are we ever going to get the Crystal Star back? Beldam must be long gone with it by now," Flurrie said.

Pennington fixed his cap. "Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say those hooligans just stole a red herring of this 'Crystal Star'!"

"A what?" asked Koops.

"Do you by any chance mean the fish herring, good sir?" Bobbery frowned.

"No, no, no! What I mean to say is that they only took a fake! A fraud! A diversion from the real thing! It was phony, false, counterfeit, and as you hip people like to say, 'Totally bogus'," explained the penguin with the improbably large brain.

"Then where's the real one?" questioned Goombella.

Pennington walked over to Mario. "For security breach reasons, I'm sorry to say that I can't tell you that. However, you have Luigi on your side! I'm sure he can use his skills to find that Crystal Star thing for you. Am I right in saying so? I should be!"

Waffles made a face. "You don't know where it is, do you?"

* * *

Despite Pennington's outrageous claims, everyone set out to look for the real Garnet Crystal Star. The sanctum wasn't very big, but unusually empty, which made the search particularly easy. They looked under curtains and scanned behind the large painting in the rear, while Mario used his Spring Jump to walk around on higher platforms and beams. Eventually, Bobbery came across a pipe behind one of the drapes, well-hidden due its similar color. The group appeared skeptical of where it went exactly, so Mario volunteered to test it out. It wasn't long before the plumber reemerged with, to everyone's surprise, the Garnet Crystal Star. 

Waffles scratched his head. "Wow... That was... kinda easy,"

"...So,_ that's_ where it was... I knew it either had to be in there or--I mean, bravo!" Pennington corrected himself. "Consider your great find a gift from a fellow detective. I'll just put another red herring in its place. It's not like it has any real value, am I right?"

Bobbery coughed loudly. "Yes, completely rubbish... Not at all of any worth or significance."

"I guess we should go back to the Thousand-Year Door and put this Crystal Star in its place," Goombella alleged.

"Nonsense!" Pennington interrupted. "The only way in or out of Poshley Heights is via the Excess Express, which won't be running again until tomorrow. You can all rest in the hotel down the street awaiting then."

"But I'm almost certain the price for all of us staying for a night would be quite steep," the Cloud Spirit said.

Waffles checked his diaper for spare change, finding nothing. "Yeah, Gonzales. I don't think we have enough money."

"Once again, nonsense! I'm also inclined to repay you again by taking care of that ridiculous hotel fee," the detective offered.

"Really, now?" Bobbery perked up. "I must say, that's quite generous of you, old chap."

Pennington smiled haughtily. "Yes, it is quite generous, but think nothing of it! It's most likely the least I can do."

* * *

Not long after, Pennington led the rest to the Poshley Hotel, which was a stunning sight to behold in itself, especially the interior. The lobby was small, but its expensive wallpaper and carpeting more than made up for its size. Near the end of the decorated foyer, amongst the comfy chairs and furniture, luscious streams of clear water cascaded serenely outside the sterilely clean windows. Even the elevator shone proudly with its recently-polished door frame, complete with shiny buttons just ready and waiting to be pushed. 

"Well, hello and good evening to you, sirs and ma'ams," the hotel receptionist, a Toad, greeted. "Will you all be staying today?"

Pennington stepped forward. "Yes, seven individuals with seven different rooms, please."

"You mean we can get our own rooms?" Koops asked, thinking it sounded too good to be true.

"Do we hafta pay extra for that?" Waffles grumbled.

"Well, the usual fee for an entire party to one room is 30 coins, and if you want to go separately, it's 50 coins for each room. There's eight in your group, so that'd be..." the Toad stopped and counted. "...about 400 coins."

"Good thing it's not on us..." the Yoshi muttered.

"Waffles!" Goombella scolded.

"Well, it's not!"

Taking the money from Pennington, the Toad gave each partner and Mario a ticket with two numbers. "Okay, you're all checked in to stay for the next 24 hours. The numbers I gave are your floor and room numbers. And if you need anything at all, just come back here and ask!"

"Great," Koops smiled. "It'll be good to finally relax and not worry about some evil monster bent on world domination trying to kill us."

"Yes, well, I should be heading back to the sanctum now. After those strangers took my main attraction, it's probably bothering people with its... emptiness," Pennington stated, as he headed out the entrance.

With all of the accommodations evenly distributed, the party boarded the elevator to their floors and rooms.

* * *

Getting to her room, the Shadow Siren set her items onto the bedspread; the Boo's Sheet Koops gave her, the Peach Tart from the friendly innkeeper in Rogueport, and the Power Jump badge she received from Ms. Mowz two nights ago. 

Vivian picked up the badge and looked it over. _I really need to give this to Mario... It's not like I can use it,_ she laughed to herself.

A knock at the door brought her back to reality. She called, "Who is it?"

"Um, it's me..." was the familiar reply.

Hearing his voice, Vivian nearly tripped over herself in quickly trying to reach the door. She blushed at her silly eagerness and opened it. "Hi, Koops..."

He walked in with a Choco Cake slice. "Hi... Uh, they had these downstairs for new hotel guests, so I got one for you."

Taking it, she smiled. "That's so sweet, thank you. Where's yours?"

"Uh... there were only a few slices left and I kinda gave them to Goombella and Flurrie," Koops sheepishly admitted.

"You mean you didn't get any?"

"No... But it's okay. Ladies first, y'know."

She beamed brightly and looked for something to pay him back with. Seeing the Peach Tart, she handed it to him. "Here. It's the second best thing."

"No, don't. It's--" He stopped mid-sentence as Vivian placed the pink pastry in his hands.

"Take it. You deserve more, but that's pretty much all I have."

Koops took the Peach Tart, somewhat embarrassed. "...Thanks..."

"All right..." Vivian searched frantically for a polite way to end the conversation. "I'll see you again later sometime, okay?"

"Okay."

She gently closed the door, locking it back for privacy, Koops believed. He began to tread away slowly, blushing at the backfiring of his plan.

_About the Choco Cake being offered downstairs for new guests... That was a lie. _

Choco Cakes were handed out as a request and Koops only asked for one. He never even went to Flurrie or Goombella's rooms. All he wanted was to be near Vivian again and make her... happy.

Instead, everything ended up in a flop, as Vivian repaid his polite endeavor with a present of her own. Of course, he didn't mind this at all, but it just seemed to utterly rob his good deed of its significance...

"Koops?"

Startled, he turned around. "Huh?"

The Shadow Siren stood there, looking a little embarrassed. "Um... if it's not too much trouble... you think you can grab me a fork to eat this with, please?"

He answered her with a smile. "Why don't we both go get one?"

Vivian involuntarily puckered her lips in confusion for a moment. She then blushed. "Okay... We'll both go..."

Together, the two boarded the elevator to fetch their utensils, unaware of a stranger in white watching their every move. She stood carefully behing a curtain, her heart-shaped tail twitching madly...

"One shouldn't make friends with the enemy so easily, Koops," she whispered. "Vivian may be your ally, but there is always calm before the storm... Be wary, my friend, be wary..."

* * *

"_From the dark remnants of the eternal darkness, an appointed heir will take her place as the new Shadow Queen. Her sinister rule will poison the lands and consume the souls of any unfortunate mortal cursed with existence. The days afterward will all be pained ones; life will have little more purpose than to serve this accursed fiend. Escape by death is a fool's dream as it will torture your soul as punishment, and those who oppose will stand knee deep in the blood of their loved ones. True to her name, she is but the shadow of merciless fire and destruction a__nd the world will suffer her inferno of desolation."_

_...So it shall be written... So it shall be done...

* * *

_

The rest of the afternoon was like a break everyone needed. Everyone spent the evening relaxing outside, enjoying the hotel or taking a tour of Poshley Heights. Mario and Ms. Mowz went off searching for hidden items, finding quite a few useful objects in bushes and behind fences. Goombella joined them in their hunt, sparring with the rodent all the way. Waffles ran about the municipality, practicing his moves and battling strategies, sometimes accidentally colliding with the occasional bystander. Bobbery and Flurrie passed their time by socializing with Poshley Heights' residents, exchanging stories about the finer things in life and its aristocratic values. Unlike the others, Vivian and Koops stayed inside the hotel enjoying each other's company and talking about their individual preferences.

* * *

When all was said and done, each partner had to admit their day was enjoyable and well worth the struggle. It more than made up for the last three days it took for them to arrive. As night was fast approaching, the team began to recall and discuss their last battle amongst themselves... 

"What about the part when I hit its tentacles straight on?"

"No, you didn't! Bobbery did that!"

"Bobbery couldn't even _reach_ the tentacles!"

"If I remember correctly, I think it was Mario who destroyed the Smorg's appendages."

"...Yes, I'm quite certain it was..."

"Wait, weren't there three of them?

"I think I got the third one..."

"...but Mario got the main... thing..."

"Do you think we really got rid of it? It just kinda flew off the train afterwards..."

"It could still be in... wherever we were at the time..."

"Who cares? It ain't buggin' us!"

"Waffles!"

"Well, it's not! We don't even know where it went, for crying out loud! Do you _wanna_ go looking for it in the middle of nowhere?"

"No, but that's not the point!"

"And if it does strike again, we will demolish it once again; simple as that."

"You think it'll attack the train again?"

"Probably."

"Don't say that!"

"Why?"

"Because it gives me the creeps!"

"I still can't believe you're afraid of a couple of puny, little Smorgs!"

"Look, they creep me out, okay? I'm not scared of them, but I don't want them anywhere near me!"

"Then that means you're scared of 'em!"

"NO, I'M NOT!"

"Shh! Not too loud, guys..."

"Goombella, what time is the train leaving tomorrow?"

"Pretty early. Around 10:30."

"You mean in the _morning_?"

"Uh, duh..."

"In that case, we should all be off to bed. We surely wouldn't want to miss it."

"Yeah..."

"I'm getting sleepy anyway..."

"If we're late for that train tomorrow, we're gonna have to start sleeping outside. I don't think Pennington'll pay for another night..."

Koops stood and headed for the elevator, followed by everyone else except Mario, as he was already on his own floor. As the elevator gradually went down, each partner got off on a different floor and said their good nights before heading off to their rooms. First Bobbery, then Waffles, Flurrie, and finally, Goombella. Arriving at his floor, Koops started to get off, but turned to notice Vivian still in the back, quietly fingering the seams of her gloves.

"Vivian?"

"Huh?"

"You've been pretty quiet today..."

"Oh, well that's only because... I don't have anything to say..."

"Okay. Is this your floor?"

"...No. I'm on the fourth one."

"But we already passed that."

"I know..."

"Then why--?"

Vivian's eyes darted about underneath her hat as she scrambled to think of an answer. "Uh... I want to... go get some Choco Cake..."

"Oh. Well, good night..."

"Good night..."

The elevator doors closed and Koops went to his room. He didn't bother turning on the light; it was late and sleep was imminent. As he lay on the plush bed, admiring the baroque walls and furniture, he began to wonder of his frightening dream from last night and what message it was trying to project.

_Not to mention how unusual Vivian was acting..._

"Hello, again... Remember me?" came the familiar soothing of a voice.

"Ms. Mowz?"

The sly rodent emerged from a dim space underneath the window. Stepping into the moonlight leaking through the pane, her glossy, white coat gleamed like a pearl. "Yes, that's right. I seem to sense a feeling of insecurity in here. Anything wrong?"

Koops tried not to look surprised. Ms. Mowz knew practically everything about anything, so there was no point in being shocked anymore. "...Well... it's something I dreamt about..."

"A dream, is it?" She nodded in understanding. "Yes, a mental vision of one's inner structure and profound mind."

"This was more like some kind of a nightmare. I dreamt that Vivian... she... she turned into a snake... It was really awful..."

"Maybe your dream was trying to tell you something; a warning, perhaps."

"Huh?"

"I could be wrong and it was only a minor inconvenience, but then again, it could've had a deeper, more philosophical meaning to it."

"What meaning? Everything about that dream was wrong..." Koops seemed determined to convince himself this was true.

"Vivian may not be a snake in personality, but have you ever considered that she might be a metaphor of one?"

Koops sighed, starting to get a little annoyed. "No, that's... that's crazy. Okay, yeah, I know Vivian's a little different, but she's not_ that_ different."

"Then tell me... Exactly how much do you know about her? Do you know where she came from? Or her general turf? Do you even know where to find more like her?"

"No, but what's that got to do with anything?"

"You've only known her for a short time and as that time grows, so will your friendship and so will your knowledge on Vivian's backstory."

Koops noticed she was starting to stray from the subject. "Then, what does the dream mean?"

"It means that some things are better kept a secret, while others are meant to be revealed. People are always trying to dig deeper and deeper to find out all the mysteries that plague their mind... yet some are disappointed and in some cases, severely punished from their discovery, ruing upon what they're released. Do you think you're ready to discover Vivian's mysteries? Do you think you have the willpower to handle her hidden secrets?"

Koops sat speechless, surprised by the issue's recondite significance.

_Was he really ready to learn more? Maybe the subject of Vivian's history was meant to be kept a secret. He felt like he shouldn't be trying to pry any further into the matter. Ms. Mowz's deep elucidation of the subject haunted him with a lingering feeling of fear and intimidation... Then again, it was for Vivian's sake. He'd made up his mind long ago about his intentions and turning back now would seem as a waste of time on his part._

The mouse broke his pondering silence. "Listen, Koops. I understand your feelings for Vivian and I'm sure she has hers for you, but one shouldn't rush into things so recklessly. You've only begun to understand her ways. Like her unique ability, Vivian herself is veiled in myriad of legends."

Koops groaned. "Man... all this thinking's giving me a headache..."

"Don't worry yourself over it, now. Everything will become clear in due time. You most likely won't find the answer to all your questions today, tomorrow, or next week... You only need to comprehend to understand."

"...Don't those two words mean the same thing?"

"On the outside maybe, but to truly see the importance of it. You must be ready to accept what is given to you and not try to chance facts, despite whether you like them or not. Right now, you're far from ready to adhere to such high standards," she calmly said.

Koops sighed again. "Yeah, I guess--"

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a faint knocking at the door, a soft voice calling, "Koops?"

The startled Koopa looked at the door as Ms. Mowz spoke again. "Well, I'm assuming that means our time together must come to an end, sweetheart. Maybe I can tell you more in our next little seminar of complexity and confusion," she faintly chuckled.

"No, wait. I--"

Turning back to quickly finish with Ms. Mowz, Koops was shocked to see she'd already disappeared without a trace. He kept staring at the floor, noticing not even her imprint was left on the plush carpeting. He began to wonder if she was ever there to begin with...

He turned to the door again in time for Vivian to appear out of the shadows.

"Sorry," she apologized. "When you didn't answer, I thought something was wrong..."

"Oh," he remarked, caught off guard. "No, nothing's wrong in here..."

"Well... They were handing these out for free downstairs, so I got you one." She held out an Electro Pop and a Fire Pop for him to pick from.  
They didn't have any more Choco Cake."

Koops chose the Electro Pop. "Thanks."

Vivian took a lick from her Fire Pop, sitting on the bed. "Today was a good day, huh?"

"Yeah. We saved a train _and _got a Crystal Star. That's two accomplishments in one." He licked the candy off his lips. It left the tangy flavor of sugary lemon on his tongue.

"Actually, I've been having... a lot of fun... since I joined you guys," Vivian said in-between licks.

Koops nodded. "Me, too. I've seen so many things and places I didn't even know existed."

"What do you think's going to happen when we get the last Crystal Star?"

"Well... I don't really know. I think we'll use them to open the Thousand-Year Door."

"And then?"

Koops shrugged. "No idea. You can ask Goombella and see if she knows."

Vivian nodded, remembering how she said the train was leaving early the next day. She turned her attention to the clock on the wall, surprised it was almost midnight. "Ooh, it's getting late."

"Time must really fly when you're having fun, huh?" Koops lamely remarked, mentally kicking himself for saying something so **_stupid_.**

Vivian smiled. "Well, I guess I should get back to my room now." She placed a hand on his. "We should do this more often."

Koops practically choked on his Electro Pop. "Uh-huh," he nodded quickly, his candy on the verge of lodging itself in his throat.

"Okay then..." She started to say something else, but abruptly stopped.

_He felt a gentle touch against his face. It was a short, soft, and sweet feeling... The same kind his mother used to shower him with. The lollipop slid out his throat and almost to the floor, only for Vivian to catch it..._

Before Koops could even blink, it was over. Vivian stood innocently in front of him with both candies, her dark body melding into the obscurity in of the room.

_...Was that... was that a kiss? Surely it couldn't have been. Vivian wouldn't do something like that... Would she?_

"Koops? Are you okay?" She asked in a quasi-false tone. "You dropped your Electro Pop."

"Oh, yeah. I kinda... choked on it..." Koops improvised, taking back the swirly-coated lollipop.

"Be more careful," she playfully teased, while walking to the door. "Good night, Koops. See you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay..."

Koops frowned for a second._ Vivian seemed to be... swaggering... as she walked out and closed the door behind her._

Technically, Vivian always had a swaying motion to her body. She didn't have any legs, so that was just the way she walked... But this time was different. This time, her swaying was _much _too obvious to go unnoticed. Did she do that on purpose to catch his attention? Or could it've been a result of her undeveloped structure?

Then it struck Koops like a Courage Shell to the head.

_Could she have been trying to... **flirt**_ _with him?_

It didn't sound right. With all the words he could use to describe Vivian, the term "flirt" never once came to mind. It was probably just her way of getting off the bed... Yeah, that had to be it...

* * *

Discarding his tenuous thoughts and finishing his Electro Pop, Koops walked to a bathroom across the hall to wash and ready himself for bed. Looking into the mirror, he started to apply a warm washcloth to the sticky, yellow remnants of the candy around his mouth. 

...Then he noticed a small, red smear on his right cheek. For a split second, he panicked, thinking it was blood, but the smear wasn't a blood red color; it appeared more of a cherry red... Koops cautiously fingered the smudge, only to realize it had a sticky texture.

Almost like his Electro Pop...

_Almost like Vivian's Fire Pop...

* * *

_

_**Authoress' Notes:** Whew! It's finally done! Sorry for the long dialogue, but I wanted to enhance the partners' personalities a little. I'm thinking of making a sequel to this, but I'm sparse in ideas right now. Do you think I should go through with it? Tell me in your reviews! Also, was that dream sequence creepy, or WHAT? XD_


	9. Bloodline

_**Authoress' Notes:** Sorry for the late update! I would've posted this around Thanksgiving, but my computer totally screwed things up for me. Anywho, it seems that someone in the Reviews misunderstood me and thought **"BOA" **was over:) Sorry bout that, but I'm glad to say it's not! I just think of things early like that. But there **will **be a sequel, so stay tuned! And consider this Chapter to be my Christmas present to all of you for reading this story and giving me so many reviews! It's one of the few things that really make my (COUGHboringCOUGH) life worth living. :)

* * *

_

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 9:** Bloodline

* * *

_

Koops opened his eyes to the soft tingling of the breakfast bell and the faint voices of Toads calling "Good morning!" and "Rise and shine!"

Slowly, he sat up and rubbed the lingering effects of sleep from his eyes. He squinted from the bright sunrise in the room and glanced at the clock; 7:34am, it read. Still yawning and smacking his lips, Koops opened the window. The breeze outside was cool, calm, and invigorating; just the kind of thing you needed to wake up your mind and body from a well-needed rest from a long night of confusion and misunderstanding.

Speaking of which, Koops started wondering about Vivian again...

_About last night..._

_What exactly was she trying to do? What was she trying to imply? And had she really kissed him? The red, sticky remnants of her Fire Pop were solid proof she'd definitely come in contact with him..._

Koops decided to shake it off and leave the speculation for later. He found it more difficult to ponder abut things when he was hungry, so maybe after getting a bite to eat, he could come up with at least_ some_ reasonable answers...

He rode the elevator downstairs and stood in the hushed lobby, clearing his mind and enjoying the quiet bubbling of the waterfall in the window. His train of thought was abruptly broken when he heard a soft sigh from the nearby sofa. Glancing to his right, Koops saw the blonde strands of Goombella's ponytail dangling off the couch's arm. She sat on one of the couch's pillows, content and relaxed, gazing outside the saturated sheet of glass. The translucent waterfall between the windows and the gold-studded frame reflected the morning sun's rays into faint streaks of rainbow that scattered across the room in a dazzling manner.

Koops leaned on the couch. "Nice touch to the lobby, huh?" he asked nonchalantly, not wanting to startle Goombella.

The Goomba turned around. Upon seeing him, she smiled. "Well, you're up early."

Koops yawned. "Yeah, well... I guess I'm just a... morning person... you know?"

Goombella peered at Koops, noticing something odd. "What's wrong? You sound a little down."

"Oh... No, it's nothing... You don't need to worry about it..." Koops trailed off.

Goombella turned around completely to face him. "I can tell when you act like _that_, something's up, so let's hear it."

Defeated, Koops sighed. It was a well-known fact that he was a terrible liar, as his docile nature made it difficult for him to purposely deceive others. He timidly rubbed the back of his head, trying to think of a way to put his situation into words. "...Well... It was really weird last night... When we were going back to our rooms, Vivian didn't get off on her floor. Did you notice that?"

Goombella thought for a moment. "Well, I figured she was probably on the first or second floor..."

"Vivian was on the fourth floor... or, at least... that's what she told me. She said was going downstairs to get some more Choco Cake, but then she came back to _my _room with Fire and Electro Pops and said that's all they had."

Goombella stared hard at Koops. "Fire and Electro Pops? They don't sell those here..."

"They don't?"

With a bewildered frown, Goombella shook her head. "No... The Choco Cake was the only thing they offered like that. I never saw either Fire or Electro Pops on the menu, since they only serve all this rich, aristocratic food."

Now Koops was really confused...

_If the hotel didn't serve Fire or Electro Pops, then where did Vivian get them from? And why did she bring them to share with him? Why didn't she just get two Choco Cakes, or one and they both eat it together? And what was their significance? It wasn't like they were the food of romance or anything; the two lollipops were merely sugar-coated candy, invented only as a treat for the taste buds and nothing more..._

"So, you're saying she went to go get some Choco Cake? Did you tell her to get you one?" asked Goombella.

"No," Koops shook his head. "She just said she was going to get some... I mean, I didn't think much of it, so I didn't ask her why."

"...That's a little odd, don'tcha think?" Goombella pondered. "...That Vivian would just do that out of nowhere... Did she try to do anything when she came back? You know, make any gestures? Say anything suggestive of something she wanted?"

"Yeah..." he said, absent-mindedly. "She had this... walk thing... when she left..."

Goombella frowned again. "Walk thing?" she repeated. "What? Like a waddle, or a strut?"

"More like a strut," Koops confirmed, the image starting to come back to him.

"Really?" Confusion was written all over Goombella's face. "Well... Maybe this is her way of saying she enjoys your company, but she might've misjudged her intentions a bit. I'm guessing Vivian hasn't experienced much time around anyone other than her sisters..." hypothesized the Goomba.

_Goombella had a decent theory going. Vivian wasn't the outgoing type, mostly because she felt somehow... corrupted. She was also a little naïve and probably the most inexperienced partner out of Mario's party. Judging from Beldam's earlier hounding, Vivian didn't seem to have a decent role model for her to learn from, so she most likely never learned proper etiquette. She was capable, but not quite ready, as far as the means of maturing..._

_This realization made Koops' heart drop... Vivian was disrespected by her kind and she was disgraced by strangers... Who else could you possibly turn to when your family treated you like dirt...?_

"...You and I know she meant no harm, right?" Goombella finished.

Koops snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh? ...Yeah... No harm..."

"Actually," Goombella continued on with her rambling assumptions. "I think Vivian and her sisters are the only ones of their kind. They're really a rare species."

Oh... "Really?" Koops halfheartedly asked. _Great... Now that was _another_ thing about Vivian to ponder over..._

Goombella went on. "Koopas, Goombas, Bob-ombs, Yoshis; they're multiples of us, but only three Shadow Sirens exist and Vivian probably feels a little awkward because of that. I'm actually thinking of performing a study on her when this whole quest is over. She could very well be the key to exactly what happened prior to 1,000 years ago."

"Oh..." Koops quickly looked for something else to say. "What kind of a study?"

"Well," she thought for a second. "I could ask about her standard of living, her habitat, lifespan, food preferences... Things like that so we can get a clearer perception of her."

_That was exactly what Koops wanted; a better understanding of Vivian's origins and her reason to exist alongside modern civilization, while she was such a misunderstood oddity... _

"Oh... yeah, that'd be nice," replied the Koopa.

Silence.

"By the way..." Koops suddenly remembered. "Not that it's any of my business, but... what were you doing down here, anyway?"

Goombella seemed caught off-guard. "Oh, me? Nothing, really. All those morning calls from the Toads upstairs just got on my nerves, so I came down here to get away from them."

"Well, they should probably be gone by now. You think they've started serving breakfast yet?" Koops asked, as he and Goombella walked to the elevator together.

"I think they start at 5:00am and keep going until noon," Goombella responded.

"Okay." Koops pushed the respective buttons of his and Goombella's floors on the elevator's switch panel. "We've got another three hours or so until the Excess Express heads back to Rogueport, right?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

The elevator chimed as it reached the second floor, Koops' destination.

Disembarking, he turned back to the Goomba. "I guess I'll see you around three hours, then."

"We've got some spare time on our side, so you can do a little more sightseeing if you want. When you're done, go back to the lobby. We'll all meet up there before we leave," she clarified.

"Okay..." He paused. "And Goombella?"

"Huh?"

Koops' face reddened a little as he flashed a smile at her. "Thanks for the talk... Sometimes, I think you're the only one who ever really listens to me."

Goombella returned the smile with gusto. "Sure. What're friends for?"

The elevator doors closed and Koops went back to his room, feeling somewhat satisfied about the whole 'Vivian being shrouded in mystery' thought. Arriving in his cabin, Koops laid back down on his bed. He wasn't very hungry at the moment, not to mention the food tasted better on the train anyway. Maybe he'd wait and eat something on the Excess Express, since it'd be another three-day voyage back to Rogueport anyway. He spent the rest of his time staring at the ceiling, his eyes becoming heavy... and eventually, Koops began drifting off to sleep... a few minutes' rest wouldn't hurt, after all...

* * *

_Koops remembered he had a dream... a strange one... He couldn't exactly recall what happened, but he had vague visions of him and Vivian in Shhwonk Fortress. And they were frolicking through the abundant mass of flowers inhabiting the area... It was so warm and fresh. It felt like he was really there. And not did he have the fear or tension like in his other dream... But it lasted only a short time before...

* * *

_

"Koops... wake up, it's time to go," Goombella suddenly spoke.

Drowsily, Koops rose and yawned, "...Huh?"

"It's 10:00. The train's leaving in 30 minutes."

"Oh... Already?" He hated it when that happened. When he was having a perfectly good dream, then someone would come along and wake him up, causing him to forget most of what just happened.

"I'm gonna go get Mario and a few of the others, and then we're off, okay? Everyone else is waiting down at the lobby for us," Goombella said, as she walked out the door, closing it behind her.

Koops rubbed his eyes and yawned again before also vacating the room and heading for the elevator. He was still a little groggy, though... Maybe he could continue his nap once aboard the Excess Express...

* * *

Downstairs, Koops sat along with Bobbery and Waffles, waiting for Goombella to come back with the others. It wasn't too long before the elevator door opened as Mario, Goombella, Flurrie, Vivian, and to everyone's surprise, Ms. Mowz stepped off.

"Okay!" Goombella announced. "I think we're all ready to go now. Are we missing anything?"

"Not really, since there wasn't that much we brought along with us in the first place," said Waffles.

"Oh, Mario?" Vivian lightly tapped his shoulder with one hand, holding the Power Jump badge in the other. "Here. This is for you. I thought maybe you could add it to your badge collection."

"Hey, where'd you get that from? Did you steal it from somebody?"

"No, I didn't steal it... I..." Vivian paused for a moment. "Well..."

Seeing she was having some trouble, Ms. Mowz decided to intrude. "Hmm! Does it really matter where she got it from? It may be possible that she just has a knack for finding gems amongst the junk, like yours truly."

"Yeah, more like dumb luck..." Waffles muttered.

"Anyway," Goombella overlooked Waffles' observations. "Everyone's here, we've got all our stuff, so let's go."

"Yes, if you ever find yourselves around these parts again, do stop by and visit. I'd be happy to take care of any favor you may need," Pennington advised.

After a few more farewells and good-byes, Mario and friends boarded the train, bound for Rogueport. Koops never did finish his nap, but instead spent the next three days admiring Vivian's behavior... 

He began to notice Vivian had changed so much... She was like one of the others now and they were all a big, happy circle of friends. Whenever they talked, she joined in and smiled... sometimes even laughed. She didn't shy away or look so horrified whenever one of them tried to talk to her; she joked and conversed right alongside the rest as if they were her own family. As the three days back to Rogueport slowly whittled away to nothing, Vivian's previously hidden attributes gradually became clearer. The Shadow Siren's personality appeared to be more of a perky, young girl, rather than a nervous, emotionally-tortured adolescent. She was also very affectionate, not just with Koops, but with anyone who she felt would accept it.

* * *

Reaching Rogueport, Mario and the rest went straight to the Thousand-Year Door and put the Garnet Crystal Star in its place. Vivian, of course, decided to stay away from the gargantuan doorway, watching the continuous display of glowing lights from the pedestal near a broken pillar. No one seemed to mind or care that she did this, but it bothered Koops as to why Vivian wouldn't come within 20 feet of the door. It was like... something was keeping her away from it... Like if she got too close, something awful would happen...

After some suggestions and a little enlightenment from Prof. Frankly about the X-Nauts and their fortress on the Moon, the team set off to find the hidden pipe that would lead them to their new goal: get to Fahr Outpost and use the local Bob-ombs' cannon to get reach the Moon.

Koops himself thought the idea was crazy. How in the world could they achieve such a feat, even if the Bob-ombs did let them use their cannon? How would they be able to survive and how would they get back? These thoughts and many more perplexed him as he pushed through the snow on the trail leading to Fahr Outpost.

Upon their arrival, they confronted the mayor, who refused to admit a cannon even existed there. It took Bobbery to convince him otherwise. Knowing the fate of the world was at stake, the mayor Bob-omb explained that only Goldbob and General White could operate the cannon. Grudgingly, the group went to search for the two, finding Goldbob first in Poshley Heights. Alas, even after looking in every town they'd previously visited, General White was nowhere to be found. Dejectedly, the group dragged themselves back to Fahr Outpost, only to realize General White was asleep in his house. After a few more negotiations and settlements, the mayor and General White both agreed to get the cannon back online for Mario and friends.

The mayor decided it would be better to wait until tomorrow before they fired off the cannon, fearing a speedy shoot-off might cause a few miscalculations. That and Mario thought it'd be best to let his companions rest as a repayment for their earlier efforts. Savoring in their reward, the partners spent the rest of the day playing in the snow and getting ready for their intergalactic trip to the moon.

While the others frolicked in the snow, Vivian withdrew to the outskirts of Fahr Outpost admiring the icy fluff. She couldn't remember the last she'd seen snow and it was so... beautiful and gentle... Her peaceful thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Vivian... we need to talk..." someone said.

"Huh?"

As if to answer her question, Beldam and Marilyn appeared out of the shadows and a frostbitten Doopliss reluctantly joined them, sneezing and coughing all the way.

Vivian bit her lip. Fahr Outpost had to be the worst place to run into Beldam, especially if she was mad. Being created from snow and ice, Beldam could wield the frost as she pleased, and on top of that, the elements of any ice or snow would adjust itself to match her feelings. It was apparent she had the advantage here...

* * *

Koops looked towards the sky. "It's starting to get nippy out here. Maybe we should call it a night."

Goombella shivered. "Yeah, I really don't wanna get pneumonia out here."

Then, Koops realized something. "Hey... do you know where Vivian is?"

"Oh, she's right over... not here..." Goombella puckered her lips in deep thought. "Now where'd she run off to?"

Koops shrugged. "Well, I saw her at the edge of town a few minutes ago... She might still be there."

"Well," said Goombella. "Let's go get her. It's not good to stay out this long anyway..."

* * *

"You think you're pretty smart, huh?" Beldam seethed at Vivian. As she did, the quiet calm of the snow suddenly turned into a strong gust of flurries. "Giving us a fake Crystal Star? I bet this was all your doing, wasn't it?"Vivian didn't make eye contact. "I had nothing to do with it..." 

"Liar... If you didn't do it, then I'd like to know who did... Who'd possibly have the know-how of a Crystal Star like us? Who'd know enough about it to make a fake one so convincing that not even its own kindred could tell the difference? Who else would know which one we were after? Who, Vivian? WHO?"

"...I don't know..." the youngest sister replied, rubbing her arms to keep warm. "But I didn't do it... It was already there when we arrived, so I don't know..."

At that moment, Koops and Goombella arrived on the scene, Goombella suddenly perking up at something. "...Who's that?" 

Koops squinted. "I think that's... Beldam...?" he said, in surprise. "Marilyn and... Doopliss? What're they doing here?"

"And what are they doing, talking to Vivian?" whispered Goombella.

"Think we should tell Mario?" asked the Koopa.

Goombella ducked down low behind a nearby tree. "I don't know... Let's just keep quiet and see what happens."

Koops retreated behind the tree as well. "Okay."

"Hanging around with Mario must've made you think you can get away with anything..." Beldam badgered. Vivian shivered as hail began to aggressively pelt her sensitive skin. "There's no point in lying if he and his friends aren't here to back you up."

Vivian didn't say a word; she just glared at her older sister, a cold, expressionless glower on her face. From looks alone, it appeared she was mad or even fuming at her... Beldam glared back, assuming Vivian would soon start to tremble under her callous authority.

She didn't cringe for a second...

"You're so pathetic, Vivian..." the frustrated Beldam spat. "You've never been able to do anything right! You're actually_ helping_ Mario collect the Crystal Stars!"

"No, I'm no--"

"I'M SPEAKING!"

Vivian quickly silenced herself, a sudden blizzard angrily blasting the area. "...I... I'm sorry... I thought you didn't want me back anymore..."

"You'd think I'd let you off the leash that easily? It was just a put-on to fool those bumbling idiots into thinking we weren't a threat anymore. It's something I'd like to call 'divide and conquer'. But this..." she held up the fake Crystal Star and shattered it against a nearby tree. "...it's unacceptable... it's not funny... Do you think it's funny, Vivian?"

Still looking away, she nervously fingered her hat's rim. "No, I don't..."

Goombella made a face. "Divide and conquer?"

Koops looked at her. "What's she talking about?"

"And if that weren't enough..." Beldam lowered her hat and tone. "Not only have you been negligent of your responsibilities, but you've been showing off, playing around, procrastinating, and fraternizing with the enemy, instead of learning their weaknesses like you were instructed to do... Am I right in saying so?"

The fiery siren bit her lip even harder, feeling the pangs of guilt start to seep in and take effect.

_She **had **been playing around... _

_She **had** been fraternizing with her so-called "enemy"..._

_And she **was **trying to flirt with Koops... but... she didn't mean to make it so noticeable..._

_She just wanted some attention... _

_...Maybe she was **desperate** for attention..._

"Do you think this is a game?" Beldam continued. Her rim still covered the majority of her usual sneaky smirk, which, by now, had turned to a vexed frown.

"No..."

"Here we are... trying to get the Crystal Stars back from Mario... and you're wasting precious time by _flirting_ with the enemy?"

"No, I..."

Goombella's expression turned to shock upon hearing Beldam's words. "So, it was all a plan... to steal the Crystal Stars?"

"...No, that can't be it..." Koops refused to believe it. "Vivian wouldn't do something like that..."

Once again, Vivian found herself backed into a corner with no hopes of escaping...

_What was she thinking, trying to fool around with Koops? ...It was just in her nature; she was starved for attention and since no one was fulfilling her needs enough to satisfy her, she'd begun to feel distressed. Vivian always was the playful and cheery type, mostly thanks to Lillian's constant happy-go-lucky attitude. But after she died, the carefree influence Vivian had learned to adapt to so well perished along with her... and she never truly finished growing up..._

_...and she still wasn't finished and wouldn't be for several more decades or so. Everything around her just went too fast for her to comprehend, despite her slow maturing process... _

_...All she needed was a little more time..._

"VIVIAN!"

"Huh?"

"Now you're daydreaming?" Beldam scowled.

She frantically struggled for an answer. "No... I just didn't-I didn't hear you... that's all..."

Beldam was becoming more and more cross by the second; Vivian could tell by her unusually calm demeanor...

"...Out of Mario and all his little pesky friends, you seem to have your eye on the Koopa the most..." the senior turned her back to the confused sister, leaving a sour sensation in the air. "Is there... any particular reason why?"

Koops perked up at the sound of 'Koopa', listening intently for the response. There was an odd hush as Vivian tried to come up with a believable answer; even the howling wind came to an eerie, muted halt. Goombella felt like her ears were clogged from the sudden hush of their conversation. Watching the snow fall so silently and add on to its surroundings seemed strange because of the setting's uncomfortable stillness. Even the sirens' hats, along with Doopliss,' were starting to become covered with a thin blanket of frost.

"...I... I don't know what you're talking about..." Vivian finally said.

Beldam disregarded her answer. "I mean, really, Vivian... A _Koopa_? How could you possibly be interested in such a worthless creature? If you're going to scam _anyone_, at least let it be someone with something of _value_..."

Koops' feelings were hurt to hear Beldam ridicule his kind like that, but he knew it wasn't true. Basic Koopas weren't the strongest of their class, but what they lacked in brawn, they made up in brains. They were commended for their longevity, peaceful resolving, and idealistic outlook on the world's issues and how to solve them. Sure, they were often mistaken by most to be Bowser's evil henchmen, but the King himself usually only recruited stronger Koopas, like Hammer Bros., Koopatrols, Magikoopas, and so on.

"I would understand if it a Boo or maybe even a higher rank of Koopa, like a Koopatrol... They happen to possess invaluable powers and rare items that could very well help us... But a _Koopa_?" she said their name with such disdain, that it hurt both Koops _and_ Vivian to hear it.

"...They're really nice to me... I'm just trying to show them I'm grateful..." the younger meekly whispered.

"Shadow Sirens aren't supposed to be grateful! We're not supposed to be nice! ...But your simplicity impedes your view of the world, now doesn't it?"

Vivian lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry..."

"Yes, you're _always_ sorry aren't you?" Beldam mocked as she rolled her eyes. "This Koopa is obviously getting in your way of completing your mission. Maybe we should eliminate him before we set our sights on Mario..."

Without any warning or thought, Vivian suddenly snapped her head up, face angry and enraged. **_"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM, OR I'LL..."_**

Goombella struggled behind the tree, trying not to make any hasty movements from the alarm of her sudden outburst.

Marilyn flinched and Doopliss' eyes widened, a stunned look on his face. Vivian's hands went straight to her mouth.

_...Was that... Was that her... voice? _

_That... awful yelling...? No, it couldn't..._

Slowly, Beldam turned back to face Vivian, her expression a mix between shock and surprise.

Vivian was speechless, open-mouthed in surprise. She didn't know how to explain her outburst and she couldn't deny it had happened. Her eyes quickly darted around the snow-covered surrounding and finally lay to rest on Marilyn. The middle siren sat in silence, a scared silence... Doopliss lacked in helping as well, as his eyes zipped back and forth uneasily between Vivian and Beldam.

For a moment... a split second, Vivian felt such an intense hatred burning inside her... Her fists were balled tightly in anger... no... In a _rage..._

From the safety behind the tree, Koops couldn't help but blush. Was Vivian having such a fit over him... or was she defending the others altogether? He couldn't be sure...

The shock on Beldam's face soon turned to anger; the falling snow promptly turning into a violent gust of flurries. "You actually_ think_ you can order me around like that?" she grabbed a lock of Vivian's hair. "Don't forget your place, you idiotic twit! I don't know what's gotten into you, Vivian, but for your sake, it'd best stop!"

Unexpectedly, Vivian yanked hard and out of Beldam's grasp. She turned back to see the elder still holding a large clump of curls in her hand. It didn't matter, though; it'd grow back very soon, not to mention the torn hair was from underneath layers of others, making it nearly impossible to notice. Seeing this irritated Koops a little...

"You've grown independent, haven't you?" Beldam sneered sarcastically, throwing the hair down, its loud hue quite the eye-catcher in the white show. "Think you don't need us around anymore, do you?"

"Leave Koops alone..." Vivian seethed. "He has nothing to do with this... If you want to punish me, then go ahead, but I'm not letting you hurt Koops... or... or any of my other friends!" she quickly added, her face starting to blush.

"...You're not going to _let _me?" repeated the leader. "Am I going to have to knock you down a few notches to show you who's boss?"

"...No..." Vivian sighed. "Just leave them alone... that's all I ask... It's not their problem..." She was cut off by a hard slap, jerking her head to the side.

Almost impulsively, Koops stood up, but Goombella knocked him over, angrily whispering, "What're you _doing_?"

"We can't just sit here and let Vivian take that! We need to help her!"

"Let's wait it out a little more, Koops. We can't take these guys on our own, you know!"

Koops sat back down behind the tree. Unfortunately, she was right; Interfering might've caused more harm to Vivian than good.

"...You disgust me..." Beldam muttered.

"_...I don't care..."_ Vivian whispered bitterly, recoiling from the slap.

Beldam glared at Doopliss and Marilyn. "...Then I guess you don't care if I get rid of your so-called 'friends' for you..."

Vivian didn't move. She continued to stare off into the abyss, memories of her beatings flashing back through her mind... _each one more painful than the last..._

"It wouldn't be wise to try and rebel against me, you know. I have Grodus and his entire X-Naut regime on my side... They can besiege Mario and the others to get what they want, if at all necessary," the eldest said, her back turned once again.

"No..." came Vivian's trembling plea, fearing the worst. "Please, no... Don't... I-I'm sorry..."

"Vivian, you're coming back with us," Beldam curtly decided. "You're being distracted from your work, not to mention we've got a better plan anyway."

The siren of fire was silent, her gaze focused on the torn strands of pink hair still waving through the colorless snow...

Growing impatient with her lack of response, Beldam began to walk off, Doopliss and Marilyn looking on in uncertainty. "Come off it, Vivian. You know it wouldn't have worked out anyway. They're too different; you're too different... For all my efforts, you should be thanking me. I'm saving you a lot of trouble..."

"...I'm not going..."

Beldam stopped. "Come again...?"

"...I'm not coming back..." Vivian hesitantly repeated. "I've... I've made up my decision... that I'm leaving... I'm sorry, but Mario... Mario and his friends are the only ones who've ever been nice to me..."

No sooner had she finished, a sharp pain sliced through her chest, like a knife or a sword... Vivian's tail suddenly buckled from underneath her and she fell to the cold, unforgiving snow, twisted in agony. She trembled in unspeakable pain. Her body felt like it was frozen from the inside out...

_It was one of Beldam's freezing spells... It had to be... The feeling..._

_It was so cold... _

_So cold..._

"...You think about that, Vivian," came Beldam's voice. "Think about how idiotic you sound right now! And when they turn against you and strip you of what's left of your dignity, don't come crying back to us! Marilyn! Freak-sheet! Come on, we've got things to do..."

"Um, you know... it's Doopliss... Right? You know that right?" sniveled the cold Duplighost.

From his hiding place, Koops struggled with all his might not to leap out and punch Beldam right her long, ugly nose... All the while, Goombella kept scowling at him and making gestures for him to quiet down.

Marilyn went over to her injured sister, reaching out to check her condition. She knew how powerful Beldam's spells were and, out there in the snow, their strength was multiplied even further.

"Marilyn!"

She flinched.

"You weren't thinking of actually trying to _help_ that little traitorous whelp, were you?" questioned the siren of ice.

Marilyn looked down at her inept sibling in the icy fluff. Her gaze was returned by her younger sister's bright, red eyes from beneath her lopsided hat and ruffled hair blowing in the wind.

Regrettably, the hefty sister shook her head.

"Good. Then I'd like you to come with us. Vivian's no longer our ally, you got that?"

Marilyn slowly nodded. With one last look of worry at Vivian, she turned to follow her older sister into the shadows, leaving Doopliss to worry.

"C'mon, guys! Seriously, stop! Aw... I hate it when you do that!" he sneezed and snorted, running off into the snow.

Vivian sat in the snow, numb and incapacitated. She couldn't do much of anything but wait for whatever was wrong with her to go away... The snow was falling quietly again, since Beldam was gone. But...

_Something was wrong..._

_Very wrong..._

With the sense of silence Beldam left behind, came a sudden hint of déjà vu... Vivian felt like this scene was somehow familiar to her... Sure, Beldam'd constantly beat her like this, and worse... but she felt like it was repeating something... It had the same plan, but with a different situation and purpose...

"Vivian!"

The siren looked up at the familiar voice calling her name. Through the snow, she could see two figures running to her... Calling out for her... was it...

"G-goombella? K-koops?"

_As the two ran, slowly getting closer and closer, her vision began to fade and everything went dark...

* * *

_

Back in the inn, Goombella placed a warm cup of Koopa Tea on the nightstand. "Here. Drink some of this. It'll make you feel better."

Vivian slowly took the cup. "T-thank you..." she trembled, still recovering from Beldam's wintry assault. "Were you g-guys... w-watching...? The whole t-time?"

"Yeah, we heard everything..." answered Koops.

Vivian sat in a long, uncomfortable silence. _They'd heard the entire plan... They knew what her true intent was..._

Feeling obligated to say something, Goombella cleared her throat. "Listen... Those guys are total freaks, Vivian... Forget about them all right?"

Vivian buried her head in the blanket. "I f-feel so awful..."

"Don't be. You shouldn't be with them, anyway..."

"...W-why were you out there anyway?" she asked, her head turned away.

"We were worried something might happen to you. Out in the cold like that... and those Frost Piranhas are merciless, you know," Goombella shuddered at their undisputed strength.

"...Even after I was s-supposed to take the C-crystal Stars... you s-still trust m-me?"

"Of course we do. So, you made a mistake, big deal. You didn't mean any harm... It wasn't even your fault in the first place. And you think you're to blame for it?"

Vivian looked down at the cup. The Koopa Tea inside reflected her distressed face. "Well..."

"No one should have to go through this kind of punishment, especially you. Lying in the snow out in the cold... It's inhumane... You don't deserve it."

"I d-don't?"

"No... You deserve to come inside and be nice and warm with the rest of us," Goombella told the siren.

"But... I betrayed y-you..."

"And aren't you sorry?" Koops asked.

"Yes...but..."

"Then it's okay." Koops placed another blanket on her back. "We aren't going to hold a grudge against you over something stupid like this. If that were the case, Mario never would've let any of us join him to begin with."

"He does have a point," Goombella added.

"...You p-promise not to t-tell anyone else about t-this?" Vivian suddenly remarked.

"Huh? Why?"

"I just d-don't want anyone else t-to know..." Vivian whispered. "So, please d-don't tell..."

"Okay..." Koops finally spoke. "We won't tell, if it bothers you that much."

"T-thank you... for understanding..."

Koops looked at the Goomba. "Goombella? You promise not tell either, right?"

"Sure, if it'll make Vivian feel better, we'll keep our little secret."

Vivian didn't say another word for the rest of the night. She sat secluded in the far part of the inn with her Koopa Tea, facing the wall like she was on punishment. Mario, along with the others memebers of the party kept wanting to know if anything was wrong with Vivian. Goombella and Koops played it off and pretended they didn't know either, so everyone just assumed Vivian wanted to be left alone for personal reasons...

* * *

Vivian lay awake in bed that night, bothered by so many things...

For some reason... some strange, unknown reason... her body was telling her something... Like a warning, or omen. Ever since Beldam confronted her, she'd been having these... feelings... these tinglings inside her... Maybe it was an aftereffect of Beldam's spells... But the feeling didn't hurt. It was more of a tickle, not a pain. Not to mention a strangely recognizable déjà vu she had...

Irritated, she yanked the covers over her head and buried her face in the pillow. It wasn't long before the warmth of the heater and the wool covers soon calmed her. Regardless of her body's constant warnings and alerts, Vivian gradually faded into a soft slumber... She'd worry about everything tomorrow; Right now... it was too cozy not to fall asleep...

* * *

_Ancient stories have risen and fallen in this past millennium... Myths and rumors, legends and tall tales... Most of which pertaining to the evil demon's four ruinous daughters... The demon knew its sprit was eternal, but not indestructible... And this is said to be the reason as to why she created the Shadow Sirens. They were supposedly direct interpretations of the demon; interpretations of an evil so great, they wished no less than to terrorize the world. _

_One of the sisters, known as 'Flora', was chosen as heir to the demon's throne following her birth. Despite her young age, Flora possessed traits her older siblings weren't fortunate enough to own. She was the slyest and most alluring of the three, with a reputation almost as infamous as her master. If the demon were ever to fall to a greater power, Flora would rise and exact revenge, taking over where the fiend left off in its supreme reign of torture. _

_Soon after Flora was born, the demon had another child, alias 'Ember', as spectators believed her cherry-colored hat and pink hair stood for the element of fire. Upon the presentation of this new sister, it seemed apparent the demon would continue to create daughters from nature's fiercest means of destruction. _

_Unfortunately, Flora met an untimely end not long afterwards; it was believed she'd been brutally murdered by someone seeking revenge for the assassination of their family or loved ones. Taken aback by this misfortune, the demon immediately crowned her youngest daughter as heir to her empire. Because of her age, the child was well-guarded and under total surveillance by every servant the fiend had. No one ever found the person responsible for Flora's death, as only a selected few knew how to truly kill a Shadow Siren; a stab to the heart, the weakest part of their body..._

_In olden times, the heart was said to bring the body purification and compassion for others... This is most likely why a Shadow Siren's heart was so vulnerable... _

_Because they were cold-blooded creatures with no sympathy or yearn for love...

* * *

_

A younger Vivian slept soundly in the transparent, lavender layer of her silky bed, blissfully unaware of the danger behind her...

A shadow loomed over her younger sibling, the dim light from outside glistening off a dagger she held tight in her hand...

She launched the blade, just missing Vivian, as she shifted to another position under the covers, and stabbed the pillow instead. She lifted the dagger and fingered the small tufts of Vivian's hair she managed to slice off.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" someone harshly whispered.

The shadow turned around, the moonlight eerily shifted over her face, revealing her to be Beldam. "Something that should've been done a long time ago... You and Marilyn are more than enough burden to me and I don't need another nuisance to get in my way!"

The moon then cast its gaze on the latter, exposing it to be Lillian, who frowned. "...I can't believe you'd do that... What's the matter with you? She's our own flesh and blood!"

"Flesh and blood have nothing to do with this! What do you think's going to happen when Vivian gets older? She'll take over your place as the throne's heir... Then, the Queen will have another child who'll eventually do the same thing, but she'll have more abilities than Vivian. And this'll keep happening until Her Highness gets the perfect creation of a daughter. You and Marilyn both outclass me and Vivian outclasses all of us. Don't you see what's going on here?"

"But... Beldam, you can't do that... She's just a baby! She's our sister and I don't care even if she does take over as heir! That's not the point!"

"That's the kind of attitude that makes you weak... If you're planning on taking over the throne for Her Highness, then you've got to learn to bend the rules a bit. It's survival of the fittest in this world, Lillian... and if you get the short end of the stick... then that's the way it is, I guess," sneered the corrupt sister.

Lillian gave her a dirty scowl; her emerald eyes glaring through the darkness from the far side of the room. "That's low... even for someone like you... The Queen won't be happy with this when she finds out."

"Now... you wouldn't think of turning me in, would you?" Beldam turned around, a hint of conspiracy in her voice. "I'm trying to do us all a favor... Ever since the little runt got here, you've spent more time playing games with her than you have fulfilling your duties. As heiress, it's your job to teach her how to defend herself, how to cast spells and make use of her powers... But all you're doing is spoiling her: giving her everything she wants and not making her work for it. Is she able to even do one spell of Emberositics?"

Lillian continued to glare, knowing this was true. "She's only a baby, Beldam... When she comes of age, then I'll teach her, but she can hardly even speak right now. Let her enjoy it while she's young... Before she has to grow up and taint herself with all the burdens of being a Shadow Siren... I know I did."

"And because of that, you're now rebellious and defiant in your orders. The Queen tells you to train with Vivian and you expose her to flower necklaces and sunlight? Who really is the enemy here? You or me? Think about it..."

Lillian refused to comment. Instead, she continued to stare Beldam down; the bitter glint in her eyes silently threatening her older sister to try and do her worst.

Smirking knowingly, Beldam took her up on her offer. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some business to take care of..."

Holding her arm out, Lillian snapped her fingers. On immediate command, a Piranha Plant rose from the ground. "Stop her! Grab that sword!"

Obediently, the Piranha charged for its intended target, drooling and snarling all the way.

Beldam turned and retaliated with an icy incantation of her own, freezing the Piranha Plant just as it was poised over her with its gaping, fang-filled mouth. Twisting her hand again, the frozen Piranha shattered into icy fragments and scattered across the floor.

"You just don't get it, do you?" she growled, enraged. "Best not to get in my way, else I swear you'll regret it!"

"What you're doing is wrong! You may be older, but as heiress, you're ordered to heed my commands and listen to what I say," Lillian stated.

"Like I said, sometimes you've got to bend the rules. But if it's a fight you want, then you've got one right here!" Beldam finished by throwing her arms up and conjuring a spell, unleashing a blizzard of icicles at the siren of flora.

Dodging the attack, Lillian sank into the shadows and reappeared next to the bed. Surprisingly, Vivian was still snoozing.

"Beldam, stop this before you wake her! I mean, this is silly! What are you trying to prove?"

"What am I trying to prove?" Beldam reiterated. "That's funny; I was about to ask you the same thing!"

She launched another blast of flurry of snow. Lillian quickly countered with a spell of her own. Her eyes glowed an intense green as countless roots and stems sprouted for the ground, providing as a blockade for their master.

"I'm not going to fight you, Beldam..." Lillian calmly said, the roots returning to the ground. "If we keep this up, somebody's gonna end up getting hurt!"

"And who're you to be worried over something like that...?" questioned the older.

Lillian stared at her disturbed sister. "...When it comes to terms like this... That's more to say than what you'd do!"

"What kind of a Shadow Siren are you? You're not supposed to back down from anything... ever. Show me, Lillian... Show me exactly how strong you are and fight..." Beldam challenged.

With an irritated grunt, Lillian commanded some roots to attack Beldam and hopefully knock some sense into her. Like before, Beldam used her special elements to freeze and destroy the roots. Knowing she was at a disadvantage, Lillian retreated to a dark region of the room. Her departure was followed by the snarling and growling of more Piranha Plants. They snapped at Beldam's hat and hand, only to be blown away by a chilly gust.

Upon her reappearance, Beldam grabbed Lillian and threw her against a wall, opening her palm and charging for another attack. Lillian disappeared into the floor as Beldam froze it solid. Emerging on the other side of the room, she summoned several more Frost and Putrid Piranhas. The carnivorous plants charged after the shady witch who, in turn, responded by blasting all but the Frost variety away. The remaining Piranhas bit and snapped at their opponent, but to no avail. Beldam used her other imprecations of size reduction to weaken and destroy them.

After a few more minutes of fighting and constant spell-casting, Beldam stopped. "Look, Lillian... I don't see what you're gaining from this pointless squabble. We're evenly matched, so why don't you just let me do my job and get this tedious task over with? Or, better yet, help me out and hold her down in case she wakes up."

She unleashed another freezing spell, barely missing Lillian who vanished into the floor once again. Seeing as their powers were practically the same in almost every way, Beldam decided now was the time to end this... The subtle sound of Lillian's emergence indicated she was directly behind her, most likely planning to take her down by brute force.

_But that wouldn't be happening anytime soon... Not if she had anything to do with it..._

In a flash, Beldam spun around, sword held high, and stabbed it hard above her head. Instead of slicing air, the blade snagged into something thick and a breathless gasp confirmed she'd hit her mark.

...Lillian's eyes grew wide as she felt the dagger sink through her upper body and straight through her heart. Coughing sharply, she slowly lowered her head to see the weapon plunged deep in her chest, streaks of blood dripping from it.

She fell to the ground, clutching the sword implanted in her body. Choking and wheezing, she huddled on the ground in dying pain. "Y-you..." she sputtered.

"You know... It's your own fault, Lillian," Beldam loomed over her wounded sister, half her perverse face in covered in the seeping poison of darkness. "I tried to tell to stay out of my way... but I guess your stubborn attitude finally got the best of you, didn't it?"

Lillian couldn't answer. She was too busy gurgling and gagging, trying to gasp for air one last time. Still holding the sword with a trembling fist, she staggered and fell backwards onto the ground. She gritted her teeth in agony, as her free hand clutched the bloody carpet in pain.

"What a shame... You look like you're hurt... Here, let me pull it out," With a wicked smirk, Beldam jerked the blade out of Lillian's chest, allowing the blood to spew forth and all over her hat and gloves.

"You... you'll regret... this..." hacked Lillian.

"...I'd like to think different..." Beldam replied, once again turning to Vivian's bed.

With the last of her strength, Lillian raised a shaky hand as she summoned one more Piranha Plant. Without a word, the voracious plant snuck up behind Beldam.

"Well, Lillian, I have to give you credit for trying, but it looks like I was right all along..."

Before she could finish, Lillian's Piranha Plant snatched the sword away and swallowed it, just as Beldam froze it and the remains shattered across the floor.

Weakly, Lillian smirked. "It's... it's like you said... We're... we're evenly... matched... right...?"

Beldam stood tall. "You see... that's where you're wrong... I clearly said that it's survival of the fittest... And you've gotten the short end of the stick... "

Lillian's expression darkened, realizing she was right...

"I've won the battle here, Lillian; there' no point in trying to deny it... Vivian got off lucky this time, but she'll get hers... That I promise you..." Without another word, she diapered into the shadows, the echoes of her quiet laughter sending chills up Lillian's back.

Forgetting about Beldam, she crawled over to Vivian's bed, quietly grunting in pain. She reached her hand out to gently grace her baby sister's face, leaving small traces of blood in her hair and on her cheeks. Vivian responded by grabbing her palm and snuggling it, unaware that she was slowly dying.

Lillian smiled faintly at Vivian's affection of her presence. "...Don't listen... to what she... to what she... says because..." she stopped to cough up blood. "...the joke's... on her..."

"We pway now?" Vivian asked, confused.

Lillian relaxed her head on the covers and let out a shaky sigh. "...No... no playing... It's... it's naptime now..."

Vivian looked so confused, then happy. "We sweep, THEN pway?"

"Yes... we will... we... will..." her whisper was barley audible.

"Can we pway hide and go seeking?" Vivian eagerly asked.

Silence...

"Wilwian?"

Silence...

"Wilwian? Are you sweeping?"

Silence...

* * *

_In olden times, the heart was said to bring the body purification and compassion for others... This is most likely why a Shadow Siren's heart was so vulnerable... _

_Because they were cold-blooded creatures with no sympathy or yearn for love... _

_...But that's where the legend was wrong... And where's Lillian's sacrifice would not be in vain...

* * *

_

_**Authoress' Notes:** FYI, Love Pudding can either make you Sleepy, Dodgy, or Electrified. And yes, this Chapter was a little lackluster, I KNOW! But the cool stuff will happen next time, I swear! I bet a lot of you people out there are going "What the hell is Emberositics?"_ _Well, if you must know, it's the ancient art of summoning fire_ _in the form of an attack or defense. (Pronounced _EM-ber-o-SY-TICKS_) Intriguing, huh:) On another note, I know it's common speculation that Vivian has a crush on Mario, which I totally agree with, but it's obviously hindered and eventually eradicated by the fact that he's already in love with Peach. Also, I just found out that the word 'beldam' actually means **"Old woman, especially one who is considered evil or ugly." **(Insert sweatdrop here) Is that not hilarious? And all this time, I thought it was a play on the word 'bedlam', which means chaos or madness. Meh. :P_


	10. Vessels

_**Authoress' Notes:** Here we are at the DOUBLE DIGITS! I never thought I'd get this far, not by a long shot! **"BOA"** was strictly meant to be a one-shot type of thing, but all the support, gratitude, and inspiration from my fans motivated me to keep going! I really appreciate you guys; I don't think I'd ever get around to ever finishing this story if it weren't for you, so THANKS! After going through some scripts and testing dialogue, I've come to the conclusion that **"BOA"** might (keyword: MIGHT) make it all the way up to Chapter 20! And the sequel is still up in the air, so I'll get back to you on that. _

_**Random Disclaimer:** I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

* * *

_

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 10:** Vessels

* * *

_

_...The Crystal Stars of lore were once a wondrous thing to behold. Each one held a specific trait and power unlike any other. They followed the commands of anyone who welded them, whether their intentions good or bad._

_Diamond, the Star of Courage, Emerald, the Star of Grace, Gold, the Star of Strength, Ruby, the Star of Beauty, Sapphire, the Star of Fortitude, Garnet, the Star of Cunning, and Crystal, the Star of Knowledge... According to ancient charts and readings, these were said to be the characteristics of each star, although proof was seldom found. _

_As for the coveted Amethyst Crystal Star... Few have ever seen it and those who've lived to tell about its magnificence are never believed. It was claimed to sparkle in a countless display of purple and black, the color of shadows. _

_This star was the most powerful of all its brother and sister stars, being rumored to have the ability of changing time and space to suit its wielder's desires. A thief once tried to steal this star and use it to his own needs, but ended up destroying himself in the process. _

_The demon saw how much of a problem this was and sealed the star away in a dazzling chest with red and gold emblazoned upon its latches. It was the duty of Lightning and Tundra to guard this chest with their very lives and keep its whereabouts locked away in the Palace of Shadow. But word eventually leaked out and thieves from worldwide came to take the box from her domain. _

_The constant onslaught of scoundrels in and out of her territory continued for centuries until the demon finally had enough. She would seal away the Amethyst Crystal Star in a place where no one would ever find it... in the body of her youngest daughter. _

_After Ember's unexplained birth, the infamous star's existence disappeared into fable and all began to wonder if such a treasure even existed. Rumors and hearsay brought little Ember into question quite a few times, but her connection with anything pertaining to the Amethyst Star was always dismissed as a preposterous joke. _

_One would say Ember is merely a vessel for the Amethyst Crystal Star, holding it as a revitalizing item for the demon come the day she was dethroned by another force. This star was also the key to the demon's power; if by any chance it was ever shattered, the demon and all her subjects would fall prey to its destruction.

* * *

_

It was a cold, brisk morning outside. Vivian watched the huffs and puffs of her breathing materialize into small clouds of hot air in the frigid climate. Mario was busy making some last-minute preparations before going to the moon, while the others stood around the area waiting or looking for the cannon they were supposedly using to get to the moon.

It was then she began to think about what they were doing: Blasting themselves off in some gigantic cannon to the moon like it was no big deal whatsoever? How would they get back? What if they missed the moon and landed on a comet, or something? What if the cannon's firepower wasn't strong enough and they ended up crash-landing in Glitzville?

She began nibbling her gloves and rocking back and forth, humming to herself in frightened anticipation. Vivian was so preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn't even notice Koops behind her.

"Good morning, Vivian," he greeted, followed by a soft blow to his cup of steaming Koopa Tea. "Feeling better?"

Wordlessly, she nodded.

"What's wrong? Sure you're okay? You're shaking..."

A deep blush on her face, she didn't face him. "I guess I'm just a little nervous."

"About what?"

Vivian didn't like to be questioned about things. She was either afraid of what she would say, or how the other person reacted to it.

"...going to the moon..." she suddenly said, as if the rest her sentence had been cut off by something inaudible.

"Well, don't worry about the details. If the X-Nauts got here all the way from the moon, then so can we," Koops consoled.

He had a point. She knew most of the X-Nauts' hideout by heart and from what she saw, they didn't own any spaceships or flying machines. That's when it struck her...

_The teleporter! That's_ how the X-Nauts came back and forth from the moon and Earth! And she knew where that was, so they _would_ be able to get back home!

Upon this realization, Vivian faced the Koopa. "You're right... We can get back... Thank you."

"Uh... sure..." Koops replied, watching Vivian walk away. _She sure was a strange one... but a cute, strange one..._

Goombella, standing on the edge of town, approached the mayor with a look of curiosity on her face. "Okay, so how do we do this blasting off thing exactly?"

"It's simple. Easier than simple. We load you into cannon, cannon explodes, you sent to moon. Simple," said the Bob-omb.

"And where're you gonna get the firepower to do that?"

"We're Bob-ombs; _we_ are the firepower!"

"Oh, yeah," Goombella stuck her tongue out. "Duh, shoulda thought of that..."

Waffles hopped through the thick snow and over to the official. "If you guys got a cannon, then where is it? You'd think it'd be here _somewhere..."_

"Cannon is here! Don't worry about it!" General White laughed, walking up. "We're also making a few final preparations, but you'll see it soon."

Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, Ms. Mowz twitched her tail. "Hmm, a dazzling trip through the stars and to the moon. Sounds a little bit cheesy, if you know what I mean..."

Waffles gave her a puzzling look. "Are you tryin' to say the moon's made out of cheese?"

Goombella scoffed. "Don't try talking to her, Waffles. She's impossible!"

"Am I, Goombella? Am I impossible... or am I improbable?"

"It means the same thing!" spat the Goomba.

"...Or does it?"

"**_Ugh!"_** Goombella pulled on her neckerchief in aggravation.

Suddenly arriving on the scene, Mario stopped the skirmish and handed out all sorts of items to each partner. Vivian, to her surprise, received a Stopwatch. Now she had two items in her possession: her new Stopwatch and the Boo Sheet everyone assumed she'd sold long ago.

By now, everyone was starting to gather around Mario in the middle of Fahr Outpost, some still looking around for the Bob-omb's mortar.

"Okay," Waffles turned to the mayor after getting the sign from Mario. "We've got everything we need and we're ready to go!"

"Good. We launch now then," the mayor nodded to General White, who retreated to an igloo with two other important-looking Bob-ombs.

No sooner had General White entered the 'igloo', an alarm went off.** _"ATTENTION! ATTENTION! _**_All cannon operational systems are GO! I repeat, all cannon operational systems are GO! Vacating the premises shall be imminent! Loitering is not an option! I repeat, **LOITERING IS NOT AN OPTION!"**_

The party watched Bob-ombs scatter about the area, some staying where they were. Those who weren't moving were probably authorized and were supposed to be accounted for.

"Geez, he makes_ me_ want to leave," Koops muttered.

Waffles scratched his head. "No kidding."

"You all stand here. Don't move. No moving or you might lose arms!" the mayor strictly instructed before strolling away.

"How rude!" Flurrie pouted. "Now what could he possibly be talking about?"

Before anyone could answer, the ground opened up beneath their feet and everyone fell in with several yelps of surprise. The massive cannon rose up from inside the large hole, turning and tilting as General's White's assistants tried to synchronize it with the moon. It finally stopped a few degrees off, tilted upwards, to the left, more upwards, and stopped.

"Cannon secured!" reported an assistant.

"Good! Open the hatch!" ordered the general.

"Hatch opening ready, sir!" said the second assistant.

Upon seeing the large hatch open, the mayor blew a loud whistle. "Alright! Everyone in cannon! NOW!"

Hundreds of Bob-ombs stampeded into the main area and dove inside the cannon's firing slot. They clamored and stirred about, occasionally shouting things like "BA-BOMB!" and "KA-PLOOIE!"

"Initiate closing the hatch!"

After a second, an assistant replied, "Hatch closing complete, sir!"

"Are you ready, General White?" the mayor from outside called.

"And willing!" replied the white Bob-omb. He glared down sternly upon his assistants at the controls. "Coordinates set! Latitudes and longitudes marked! Destination: the moon! Focus in and make sure you're not off by an _inch!_ One mistake and we can send these guys hurdling to Mars!"

"Yes, sir!" nodded a Bob-omb. He quickly tilted his telescope a few degrees west.

"Coordinates locked, sir!" said the other, scanning the control panel. "Permission to fire?"

"Okay, now on my mark..." the white bomb hunkered down, a concentrated scowl on his face. "Get ready..."

"Yes, sir!"

"...Hold your positions..."

"Yes, sir!"

"**_FIRE!"_**

"_**YES, SIR!"**_

The sound of the cannon's firing was ear-shattering, while the resulting debris and soot of the explosion blew out into the sky. The natives not participating in the detonation could've sworn it was snowing black frost from all the ash in the air. Even with this, everyone, including the parachuting Bob-ombs gently floating towards the ground, celebrated their incredible success. They jumped about with cheers and shouts of "Good luck!" to Mario and friends, who were already out of sight...

* * *

Vivian didn't have any memory of what just happened. All she knew was one second, they were huddled together inside the cannon and the next, they were dusting themselves off on the craterous surface that was the moon. From what she could tell, everyone seemed a little dumbfounded. But other than that, they were perfectly fine. 

"Well," Goombella stopped to cough from the settling dust of their rough landing. "Here we are. This is the moon, alright."

Bobbery shook soot off his hat. "I do say, what a riot! Although, it does feel quite refreshing to get a blast like that now and again..."

Koops gazed up at the constellations of multiple Fire Flowers, Mushrooms, and even other Stars. "Hey, look at those stars... I never thought there were constellations of those up here..."

"This is no time for stargazing!" Waffles interrupted, pulling his head out of a crater. "We need to find those snotty X-Nauts and get the princess back! Right, Gonzales?"

With a confident nod, Mario turned to walk off, the steadfast troop close behind.

* * *

The octet walked, bounced, and skipped weightlessly along the moon, avoiding intergalactic enemies consisting of Moon Clefts and rogue Z-Yuxes. It wasn't too long before Mario spotted a large, glowing building a few miles away from their location and decided it'd be best to check it out. Finding a hidden pipe, they transported to the mysterious structure and went inside. 

Surprisingly, they were confronted by two strange-looking X-Nauts of another color. They were called Elite X-Nauts, according to Goombella, and proved much stronger than the regular X-Naut. But they were no match for Mario's mighty Power Smash and were soundly defeated in no time.

After the Elite X-Nauts were sent running, Goombella noticed a map on the wall. Going up to it, she read, "_'Layout of the X-Naut's Fortress: Level 1, Sublevels 1, 2, 3, and 4.' _" She stopped and with a snicker, read the big red words scribbled on, "_**'Don't forget which elevator to take, Knuckleheads!'** _"

"These oafs aren't exactly Grade-A material, are they?" Bobbery thought outloud.

"Okay," Goombella faced the crew. "We know this place is pretty big and crawling with X-Nauts... So, I think it'd be best if split up and look for the princess, instead of tiring ourselves out by looking in one room at a time. Any other ideas?"

Silence. No seemed to oppose, so Goombella went on. "Then, that's that. Mario, you come with me..."

"Hey!" Waffles shouted.

Goombella rolled her eyes. "What, _now_?"

"See, you did it again!

"Did what again?"

"You always pair up with Gonzales like _you're_ the leader, or something! Why can't I ever team up with him? Or better yet, let him decide!"

"Waffles, I'm just pairing up everybody by their respective other! Don't you like Ms. Mowz as your partner?"

The Yoshi paused. He couldn't deny that he didn't enjoy Ms. Mowz's company, as she was the one responsible for teaching him how to make the most of his attacks, such as laying more eggs at once to throw at enemies, how to stretch his tongue longer to reach more evasive foes, and how to cause a stampede of his own kind without getting trampled in the process. And it wasn't like the white rodent didn't enjoy teaching him to efficiently use his attacks...

"...Fine..." Waffles huffed, trying not to show he was happy about the Goomba's decision. "But only because I don't think you and rat would get along fine... I'm actually showing a bit of sportsmanship here by letting you do this!"

"Whatever," Goombella shrugged. "Anyway, we'll all cover this level, then take the elevator and go our separate ways. Mario and I will get Sublevel 1, Flurrie and Bobbery can cover Sublevel 3, Ms. Mowz... wherever she is... and Waffles have Sublevel 2, and Koops and Vivian are Sublevel 4. Everybody okay with that?"

Everyone agreed again, satisfied with their alliances. Koops was ecstatic, getting to work with Vivian and all, but tried not to show it. His stubby tail eagerly wagged back and forth against his shell, making an odd thumping noise as the group walked along. Annoyed, he reached behind and grabbed the excited tail. He looked over to see if he could talk to Vivian a bit, but frowned as he realized she was lagging behind the group again.

"Hey, Vivian... Try not to trail too far behind, okay? We don't want anyone getting lost in here," he gently cautioned as she slowly tread by him.

Vivian halfheartedly nodded, not even sure of he'd said... She was beginning to have cramps in her lower midsection and it was really starting to bother her. She wasn't in much pain, but she also wasn't capable of taking a full breath of air without causing a sharp muscle spasm in her lungs and side...

Koops on the other hand, couldn't help but notice how Goombella's pairing up each partner had worked out so well. As clear as it was, it took him up until right then and there to realize everyone had their own special friend to identify with.

Flurrie and Bobbery, with their unorthodox habit of speaking in an entirely different dialogue than the rest of the party, seemed perfect for each other. They related on many levels, enjoying stage performances, experiencing a high-class lifestyle at one time in their lives, and finding the natural growth of undisturbed land pleasurable.

Not having Ms. Mowz around all the time didn't bother Waffles; she just seemed to reappear when needed and with his vigorous attitude, that suited the spunky Yoshi just fine.

Mario and Goombella led the way, like usual. Since the two had met each other first, there was always a hint of a specific amiability between the two that no one else in the posse could ever match. It made prefect sense that they pair up with one another.

Then he thought about himself and Vivian. If anything, they were the most similar pair in the party.

_...They were so similar, and yet... so different._

Sure, they had the same attributes and interests... but Vivian was a rare, prominent Shadow Siren... while he was an ordinary, everyday Koopa. She was part of a nearly extinct species while his kind came by the millions in population and variety. ...That's how they were different and that's how they were set apart from one another.

Koops began to wonder... what if Vivian'd been born a Koopa like him? Would they be equals then? As strange as it seemed, he actually found himself interested in her atypical appearance and breed. Unlike other Koopas, she was so soft to hug and he was always fond of cuddling things. Koopley once said it was hereditary from his mother... Despite what unseen preference attracted him to Vivian's kind, it didn't bother Koops in the least bit.

* * *

Finding a blue Elevator Key and placing it in the elevator's components, Mario and company rode down to Sublevel 2, only to be ambushed by a small assortment of Elite X-Nauts and the occasional Z-Yux. Of course, the enemies were easily beaten and the quest continued. 

Realizing the other elevator leading to Sublevel 3 and 4 wasn't working, everyone agreed it was time to split up and look for the missing key. Each person went their separate ways, fighting a few random X-Nauts and Z-Yuxes, which appeared to be their experimental pets.

It wasn't long before everyone got back to the elevator, altogether possessing a red and green Card Key, a few items claimed from beaten X-Nauts, two badges Ms. Mowz found on a different level, and two crumbled up pieces of paper that stated some kind of code and how to work three switches on another floor.

...Vivian didn't feel very well. Every since they'd arrived on the he moon, she'd been going through wave after wave of constant sickness... and they hit her hard. Her stomach felt like it was twisted in knots and her internal senses were going crazy, but she didn't know what for. Sometimes, she found herself suddenly flinching or jerking away sharply for no reason. Her heart pounded hectically against her chest, panging her insides even more. She could feel its incessant banging as a lump in her throat and nearly a blockage for her restless breathing.

Not only that, but the further the others went, the sicker she became. Her stomach was trying to force up food. She could feel it pushing and thrusting irritably inside, demanding her to let it flow out in a gush of disgusting vomit. With a painful frown, she clamped her mouth shut and squeezed her belly region in pain. Eyes beginning to tear, she trembled and shook, sometimes sputtering restrained coughs.

A few of the partners noticed how strange Vivian was acting and occasionally stopped to ask about her odd behavior.

"Yeah, I'm alright..." she would woozily respond. "I'm just a little... nervous... That's all, I'm just... nervous..."

But she wasn't alright... and her nausea was starting to get worse. Vivian didn't know what was going on. This queasiness was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. It felt like something was trying to escape her body... like she was being ripped apart by it from inside out. And she only hurt around her abdominal area; everything else seemed fine. Regardless, she went on. Whatever this illness was, Vivian refused to make a scene over it. Everybody was probably tried of her shirking her duties and not participating in fights as much as they did. This time, she'd keep quiet...

Then it hit her... the irresistible urge to throw up. Covering her mouth with both hands, she let out a strangled muffle and abruptly stopped walking.

Hearing a soft noise, Koops was the first to look back. "Vivian, what's-?"

He didn't have time to finish as Vivian interrupted with a loud gag, splattering thick, black liquid all over the ground. Her outburst was followed by a mixture of disgusted grunts.

"Oh, man!" Startled, Waffles jumped away.

Goombella frowned. "Vivian... what's... what's the matter with you? Are you okay?"

Vivian scowled at the strange, black gunk as it slowly oozed across the floor like the rotten remnants of a busted Poison Shroom. Choking on her own vomit, she frantically coughed a few more times, spitting up more of the dark fluid with each quivering gasp.

"If I didn't know any better," Bobbery's face contorted as he stepped away. "It looks to be the remains of Trial Stew or possibly a Poison Shroom."

"But no one in their right mind would eat that," Koops said. "She's just sick, that's all. Maybe we should stop."

"But, we gotta go save Peach before something_ else_ happens to her!" Waffles argued.

Flurrie gave him a stern look. "But they're those ghastly X-Nauts everywhere. We can't leave her here..."

"Then, she's gotta suck it up and stuff it in!"

Goombella took that time to intervene. "Waffles, she just threw up!"

The rambunctious Yoshi threw himself in her face. "Well, what else can we do, genius? I don't see any of _you _comin' up with any ideas!"

"...I'm fine..." stuttered Vivian in a low tone.

Waffles whipped around. "What?"

"...I said I'm fine..." she repeated, staggering to stand. "It's not that big a deal... I throw up all the time, you know that..."

"Do you think she's still poisoned from Keelhaul?" queried Bobbery.

"No, she should've got over that a long time ago..." said Goombella, frowning.

Vivian stood, trembling. "I'm fine... Really... N-no problem... See?"

Goombella didn't seem entirely convinced, but sighed. "...Well... we've got a lot more ground ahead of us to cover, but we'll slow the pace a little for you, okay?"

The Shadow Siren nodded lethargically, holding her side. Waiting until they turned to leave, Vivian collapsed with a painful grunt. Feeling someone's presence, she slowly glanced up to see Koops still holding back for her.

"...Oh, Koops..." she gasped, taken by surprise. "I was only resting... that's all... don't..."

Carefully, he reached around her front and lifted her onto his shell. He didn't care what Vivian said; she needed help and he wasn't going to fall for her "Oh, I'm all right, don't worry about me" bit. He was surprised at how light she was on his back. The siren couldn't have weighed any more than 10 or 15 pounds.

"...You're carrying me...?" came her hushed voice.

"...Don't worry. Just take it easy for now."

"You know... you don't have to do this..." Vivian started wiggling. "I can walk myself..."

Koops grabbed a hold of her waist and shifted her to another position. "No you can't, Vivian... Relax and let me do the walking, alright?"

"I'm not sick..." she coughed and feigned a smile. "Seriously, I'm fine... Please let me go... I... I don't want you to think I'm a weakling, Koops... even though... you probably already do."

Koops paused for a moment, feeling shame bear down on him. _Vivian actually thought _she_ was a weakling? _

"Do you really think that?" he asked.

"Think what?"

"That you're a weakling?"

"...Well, this is like, the third time I've gotten sick over something that's probably really stupid, so..." she weakly laughed.

Koops shook his head. "Vivian, if you're vomiting up poison, then something's wrong. And... you're not a weakling. You're anything but... Putting up with your sisters, so much stress, that stupid Piranha and now this... I'd say you're more like an inspiration..."

"An inspiration? To who?"

"To all of us," responded the Koopa as he began walking again. "To think, you came to your senses and joined up with us... All on your own, too... It takes a strong person to do that."

He stopped again, feeling Vivian tighten her grasp around his neck. She nuzzled him and made a soft, purring noise in the process.

_That sound... what was it? It was a very odd, unusual drone, nothing of which the likes Koops'd ever heard. It was the first time Vivian had ever done something like this. It reminded him of an animal's growl, content and quiet, relieved of all its tension and fright. _

"Thank you, but..." she stopped her melodious purring. "Don't tell anybody about this, okay...? It's our little secret, right?"

Koops wanted to ask, _'Why?'_ Why didn't she want anyone to know when she was in pain or not? Vivian was always so insecure of herself, never wanting to admit when she was hurt or frightened. But to have her express these feelings to him exclusively made Koops feel... special...

He turned and smiled. "Sure, Vivian... You're secret's safe with me..."

* * *

Their expedition continued as they went on through the fortress. No one even seemed to notice Koops carrying Vivian on his back, or of they did, they didn't bother asking why. They fought more X-Nauts and Z-Yuxes, found valuable items, traveled back and forth between floors, worked their way around the X-Nauts' strange mechanics and lab equipment, and discovered secret passageways leading to new destinations. It became apparent once they reached the machinery area that something was waiting for them at the end... Something big. 

Traversing through an abundance of gears, knobs, and switches, they pushed, smashed, blew up, and broke nearly every button they could, hoping it would open a door or trigger a certain lever in order to get through to the end. Unfortunately, Vivian's condition seemed to be worsening the further they went along. She had now begun to gasp for air and groan loudly with every move Koops made. She'd also started squirming uncomfortably on his shell and squeezed his shoulders in obvious pain.

After what seemed like hours of repetitive button-smashing and getting lost in the various apparatus, Mario finally hit the one button that unfurled a stairway connecting to yet another door controlled by a Card Key he currently had in possession. Their objective was at last revealed and everyone decided that no matter what lay behind the presumed final door, they'd triumph over it and save Princess Peach once and for all. But as they walked up the flight of stairs, their feet clanking against its thin, metal substance, Vivian let go of Koops' neck and roughly pushed away.

"Vivian?" he called back, confused at her sudden desire to get away from him.

"...I can't go in there..." she whimpered, clutching her sides. She continued backing from others, slowing shaking her head and trembling. "...It hurts bad..."

"What hurts?" asked Bobbery.

"...Everything..." Vivian grimaced, backing down the stairs. "Can't go... go in..." She suddenly felt the air from her lungs starting to deplete... She coughed violently; bits of dark liquid sprinkled on her gloves and the stair above her.

Goombella looked at the door. "Whatever's making Vivian feel so sick must be behind these doors..."

"If that's the case, we shouldn't force the poor dear in," said the Cloud Spirit.

"How come _Vivian _never has to do anything?" Waffles grumbled. "I bet she's just faking it!"

Waffles soon found his assumption to be entirely mistaken as Vivian unexpectedly collapsed, almost falling off the stairway.

"Vivi--" Koops panicked.

"I'm okay..." she jumped up in alarm, shaking. "I know it sounds like... I don't want to fight... it's not true... but I just can't right now... If only you knew the pain I was in..."

"Eh, don't worry about it," Waffles halfheartedly muttered, shrugging at the Shadow Siren. "We've made due without you before and we can always do it again!"

Mario nodded and Goombella smiled. "It probably won't take too long anyway."

"And you can wait out here, darling," Flurrie added.

"Okay..." she smiled weakly.

Koops felt the urge to add in his two cents. "Once we're done... we can...uh... celebrate back on Earth..." he paused, smiling as he realized something. "...and we'll have Couple's Cake, too... okay?"

Right on cue, Vivian's rim lifted in curiosity. "...Really?"

He paused again. "...Sure. Why not? You like those, don't you?"

Koops was wrong... Vivian didn't_ like_ Couple's Cakes; she _loved_ them, especially when she ate them with Koops. It was the most delectable thing she could remember having ever since that Jelly Ultra the innkeeper gave her, which she also shared with him.

Bobbery suddenly cleared his throat. "Well, if that's all settled, I say we go forth and end this madness once and for all! Who's with me?"

Waffles laughed. "You know, old man, that's the first smart thing you've ever said!"

"I beg your pardon? Why, you little--"

"Stop fighting! Save that for the X-Nauts!" ordered Goombella.

"Good luck in there..."

"Thanks," the Koopa responded. Vivian lowered her head.

"...and be careful..." came the barely audible whisper.

Koops looked up, believing he heard something. "Huh?"

She turned away. "...Nothing..."

"...Are you sure you'll be alright out here... all alone?" Flurrie asked.

The last two words made Vivian flinch at the realization of what she was choosing to be... _all alone..._

"...Yes..." she finally answered. "...I can hold my own... but thank you... I'll be here... waiting..."

And that was it. She'd made her choice and nothing else could possibly change it now. Mario stuck the Card Key in, the doors opened, and they disappeared inside the eerie light emitting from it. The doors closed behind them as Waffles lastly trotted in. The sleek, computerized sound of their closure seemed so much louder than before... and it echoed in the empty machinery area, signaling she was alone again... _Like she always would be..._

Feeling weary, Vivian fell over again...

* * *

Koops squinted his eyes. "Man, why is it so bright in here?" 

"Maybe they ran outta ideas and they're trying to blind us, or something," Waffles snickered.

"_Buh! Buh huh huh huh!"_ came the oh-so-familiar guffawing of a certain X-Naut minion.

"Oh no..." Goombella rolled her eyes.

"Not_ that_ oaf again!" sighed an irate Flurrie.

As promptly assumed, Lord Crump stepped out of the blinding light, his arms crossed smugly. "Lemme guess... You came here looking for your precious Princess Peach? Well, tough luck! She's already gone by now! What a shame you didn't get a chance to say goodbye. She really was looking forward on meeting with you."

Bobbery's fuse fizzled angrily. "So, this was all a trap, then!"

The young Yoshi stepped forward. "What'd ya do with the princess, you four-eyed freak?"

"...FOUR-EYED FREAK?" Crump angrily repeated. "Hey, kid! This ain't Keelhaul Key! You'll address me as Lord Crump: Superior of the X-Nauts! And what we did with the princess is none of your business!"

"Then we're gonna have to force out of you, aren't we?" Goombella challenged.

"Fine! Pry all you want! You're getting nada outta me!" He turned to a familiar-looking robot and climbed into it. At the controls, he spoke again. "Unfortunately for you, this is our newest product! I present to you Magnus von Grapple 2.0!"

"Yeah, right... That's just that stupid robot thing with a new coat of paint, isn't it?" Goombella scoffed.

"What? Oh, you're gonna wish you'd never said that, loser!" Crump bellowed his usual disjointed laugh as he operated the android to move forward. "I'm going to make sure this battle will be you're last! And a painful one, too!"

* * *

Vivian had broken her promise already; huddled in the corner of Sublevel 2's vents, listening to the loud air rush by in order to drown out her labored breathing. 

She lifted her head in the darkness. It soon dawned on the siren she had to avoid that room at all costs, for it was the cause of her pain and suffering... Vivian lowered her head again, this time from fatigue rather than pain.

...Deep down, Vivian knew Peach was in Sublevel 4, but the others had no idea what was going on...

She knew Grodus was planning on bringing the Shadow Queen back from her grave and needed the Crystal Stars in order to get to her, but what he didn't know was that the plan was all a trick. The Shadow Queen wouldn't obey him, this Vivian and her sisters knew. All he needed to do was release her from her grave and Her Highness would handle the rest. But then it hit her...

_Mario only needed one more Crystal Star to open the Thousand-Year Door and Grodus had it... What if... What if... the final star was behind that door... and Mario got it... and the Thousand-Year Door...? They couldn't go through there! They'd all be killed!_

By now, her internal senses were going haywire; the very ends of her hair heatedly standing on end. Sweat dampened around the rim of her hat, making her already irritable curls worsen. Something bad was about to happen. _She could feel it..._

_Could this be the reason why she was in so much pain? Because the Thousand-Year Door was about to be opened? Yes! That had to be it! Her body was hurting as a sense of foreboding, an omen!_

...Maybe... maybe she could prevent it... She _knew_ where Peach was and... and she could bring her to Mario... and they'd all be so happy... and Koops...

"_Once we're done... we can...uh... celebrate back on Earth ...and we'll have Couple's Cake, too... okay?" _Koops' voice replayed though Vivian's memory, making her blush.

She pictured it in her mind: Everyone'd go back home, smiling all the way... she and Koops would have Couple's Cake, never to worry about Beldam, the Crystal Stars, Grodus, or any of this 'legendary treasure' garbage again.

_That's what she'd do... Save the princess herself and bring her to Mario... and she'd get so much praise... It'd more than compensate for her absence in battle..._

Not thinking a second thought, Vivian disappeared, emerging in front of Sublevel 2's elevator. She still hurt a bit, but it was worth it if it meant making this stop. Scanning her surroundings, she carefully entered the elevator and room it down to Sublevel 4. Getting out, she staggered over to Peach's room. Maybe if she could get her to the teleporter upstairs and away from this place...

* * *

The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom sighed as she sat on the side of her small, humble bed in the lonely room, thinking deeply about her fate... About what Grodus was planning on doing to her and wondering... _hoping_ that Mario had at least received her last mail from TEC before he was shut off forever by those awful X-whatevers. 

Choking back a sniffle, she buried her face in her hands and began quietly weeping. It was all so confusing... Why was _she_ always the victim? The main target? The damsel in distress? She was tired of it; sick and tired of it. What'd started out as a fun holiday vacation for her and Mario soon turned into her being held hostage as a plot for world domination. All she wanted was to have fun for a change. Exploring new worlds and seeing new places without fear of something going horribly wrong... Was that too much to ask for?

Her lamenting was interrupted by the sound of doors opening and closing. Looking up, she saw Vivian, who she assumed was another one of those X-goons come to question her about the map and the Crystal Stars.

"Oh! Who are... who are you? G-get away!" Nearing hysterics, she grabbed a pillow from her bed and tossed it at Vivian, missing and hitting the wall behind her. "You work with those awful, nasty X-things, don't you? Well, I don't know where the stupid map is, so just leave me alone!"

"No... please," Vivian coughed, holding her chest. "I'm not... with them... I'm... I'm trying to help you..."

Poised to throw another pillow, Peach stopped. "Help me?" she frowned and sniffled, hastily wiped away her tears. "I don't believe you... Why would someone like you want to help someone like me, anyway?"

"Listen Peach... Grodus... is planning on doing something... something awful with you... He's... going to..."

"Use me as a vessel to bring back an ancient demon from the grave and take over the world?" Peach muttered, as-a-matter-of-factly.

Vivian looked up. "How'd... How'd you know...?"

"Someone already told me," she answered, suddenly going quiet. "He... told me all about Grodus' plans and the Crystal Stars... I know everything... Everything he's planning on doing..."

The siren stifled a cough. "Then, please... please come with me. I can help you escape from this place..."

"How? Aren't we on the moon?"

"Mario... He's right upstairs... fighting for the last Crystal Star as we... as we speak," Vivian sputtered.

Clasping her hands together, Peach's face lit up. "You mean... Mario's here? Right now? Really?"

"Yes... There's also... a teleporter on another floor... that connects back to Rogueport... and I can take you there... because... I don't want any of this... to happen... to any of us..."

The princess smiled. Standing up, she cautiously approached Vivian, a wary hand outstretched. Knowing she meant no harm, she stood still as Peach gently stroked her hat and fingered her curls.

Once familiarized with her, Peach's smile broadened. "Well... you don't seem like an enemy... You're actually kinda cute. ...Thank you... um..." she paused. "I'm sorry. I don't think I quite caught your name..."

"It's... it's..." Vivian rapidly gasped. She then stopped to catch her breath. "My name's Vivian..."

"Okay... Vivian. But..." Peach took note of her strangled panting. "What's wrong with you? You look so sick..."

Vivian quickly turned her head and gagged. "Don't worry... about me... It's nothing... serious... I think... I think I know what's... wrong with me... but... I'm not sure..."

"Well, I'll make sure you're treated by the finest doctor we have once I get home, okay? You said you were a friend of Mario's? Are there anymore of you?"

She nodded. "Yes, but now's not the time for that... I have to get you out of here..."

"Does Mario know I'm here?"

"Not in this room, no... But I'll try... to protect you until I can get up... with him again..." Vivian held out a trembling hand. "Now, please..."

The princess nodded. "Yes."

Peach took her hand and squeezed hard in concern. In that instant, that very _moment_, Vivian could literally feel her feelings flow through her.

_She felt her fear of being kidnapped from Rogueport, her worry that no one would ever find where she was being held, her confusion of what would become of her body, her anger at the X-Nauts' cruel intentions... _

The siren looked at Peach sympathetically. "...You've been through... a lot... haven't you?"

Peach returned the gaze. "...You have, too. I can see it in your eyes."

Vivian drew back and blushed, embarrassed Peach had seen the face hiding underneath her hat.

"Once you've been kidnapped as much as I have, you can tell these sorts of things... It's kind of like a sixth sense or something," the princess whispered sadly. She slowly looked up and smiled. "But I thank you for caring... and for understanding... It's not easy being me."

Her eyes glued to the floor, Vivian nodded and tried not to blush again.

Peach was such a pretty lady... and friendly, too. She probably hadn't heard the slander of how Shadow Sirens were evil, carnivorous snakes who'd steal a baby's soul in a heartbeat... or maybe she did, but the purity of her magnanimous heart decided to disregard it...

_Now she saw why Mario and the others wanted to save her so badly. _

Snapping out of her discomfiture, Vivian tenderly pulled Peach towards the door. "...Maybe if we leave now... I can get you... to Mario before anyone catches us..."

A look of dogged determination crossed her face. "I'm ready. Lead the way."

Now the two felt closer than ever, in spite of their sudden friendship and awkward differences. The siren and the princess walked out the automatic door together, never once looking back into the prison Peach had lived in for so long. Vivian felt so proud and confident for herself. She was finally accepting responsibility, something Beldam said she'd never have the strength to do. She only hoped she _was_ doing the right thing...

Unfortunately, as Peach and Vivian reached the elevator, it was opened from the other side by none other than Grodus, accompanied by two X-Nauts and three X-Naut PhDs.

As fast as lightning, before Vivian could even blink, he reached out and snatched her wrist, squeezing it tight in his grasp. "I see... So Beldam was right; you ARE a traitor!"

"Let her go, you!" Peach attacked Grodus, pulling on the staff in his other hand.

Although surprised her strength, the X-Naut leader responded by flipping his staff to its pointed side. Peach threw herself against it and cut the palm of hand; drops of blood dotted the ground, a piece of her torn glove left amongst it.

"This is a deplorable act on your part, you horrid thing!" He spat in Vivian's face, shaking her by her arm. "How dare you try and sabotage my plans! X-Nauts, seize the princess!"

"Right away, sir!" the duo of subordinate X-Nauts responded, surrounding Peach and restraining her.

Frustrated, Grodus threw Vivian to the ground, as she responded with a loud, painful grunt. "So, you've joined up with Mario, have you? I'll see to it that you understand what consequences you've just brought upon yourself..."

Teeth bared, Vivian faded into the shadows before Grodus could continue.

"...Not even that will help you now!" he roared. Spinning around, Grodus aimed his staff at the wall behind him as Vivian reappeared in time for the strange aura to hit her.

"W-what the...?" Vivian flinched as a cold tremor ran through her body. Gritting her teeth, she tried to disappear again, but found herself unable to. She then looked around and realized she was trapped in a transparent, green bubble of some sort. "What... What'd you do to me?" she demanded.

"The effects of my Shield Guard are quite versatile, wouldn't you say so?" the superior asked, his question dripping with sarcasm.

Vivian glowered underneath her hat at his smug comment.

"Actually," he groomed his white collar. "You may prove to be more useful now that you're obsolete to your sisters and the Crystal Star plan, as well..."

The siren's anger soon became confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Grodus turned away, fingering the orb of his staff. "Yes, well... your naivety exceeds your comprehension, does it? You don't seem to understand..."

"Understand _WHAT?_" Vivian snarled.

"...That you and your sisters are a page out of history." He turned his head just so she could see the devious glint in his glass eyes. "You are practically a living, breathing piece of ancient times past... Not to mention there are many powers residing in you, some of which you don't even know you possess."

Keeping her eyes on Grodus and his lackeys, Peach slowly began to inch away from the X-Nauts and dashed over to the elevator, grabbing a large canister from the wall beside it. With a frustrated grunt, she hurled it with all her might at the superior.

Without so much as turning his head, Grodus spun his rod about and smashed the canister against the door leading back into Peach's captivity room.

"I am surrounded by bumbling imbeciles!" he shouted. Without a moment to spare, he directed his prized staff at the princess and trapped her in another green bubble.

Peach pounded against the sphere's resilient surface. "Oh, you... you thing, you! Mario won't let you get away with this! Your plan will never prevail!"

He turned back to the siren and went on. "Ever since I learned of the Shadow Queen's existence and power, I've sought all types and kinds of sources in order to learn more about your kind. I know all about the Crystal Stars and their different powers... but, dear sweet siren... Did you know? There is an eighth Crystal Star that is said to be more powerful than the others and can give its owner unlimited power and strength."

Vivian looked down for a moment in deep thought.

_An eighth Crystal Star? ...It was on the tip of her tongue and yet she couldn't remember... The only thing she could come up with pertaining to this 'eight Crystal Star' was that it was a rumor started by somebody in hopes of trying to trick the Shadow Queen into thinking either someone else made another Crystal Star, or it was actually one that had been made prior to the ones she created. But it was only a rumor and Lillian always told her it was just a myth. If anyone knew anything about this additional star, it had to be either Beldam or the Shadow Queen herself._

After a while of awkward silence, penetrated only by the faint beeping and clicking of the fortress' computerized system, Grodus spoke again. "Of course, why am I asking you this? You don't know the truth..."

Vivian was staring to get annoyed at Grodus' jeering. "What truth? _Tell me!_"

"You're the perfect specimen to test my theories on," Grodus continued, disregarding her question. "We shall study your form and see what makes your powers of combustion and how they are fashioned inside you."

Vivian inched away in fear until she felt her back against the side of her imprisoning globe. "No... No, you wouldn't... You can't do that..."

He stepped closer. "Why not? I still need your other sisters to do my bidding, but as the rogue runt, you'll do nicely. We will collect samples, manage charts, and put you through scientific tests of stamina and intellect. And after a long, extensive research on your bodily functions, I could possibly make a clone out of your DNA... Then, I could have my own army of you malevolent creatures as my pets to obey my commands and help build my new empire... Of course, you might not survive the cloning process, but... we all have to make sacrifices, don't we?"

She kept shaking her head. "No..."

"Don't worry about the details; it'll be for the good of your dying species. With only three of you in existence, it'd be easy to extinguish your entire race merely killing you off..."

"**_NO!"_** In pure alarm and instinct alone, Vivian's hands flared up and she shot fire toward the advancing Grodus outside the bubble. In a heated display of blazing fire and the residue of the broken safeguard, Vivian not only managed to shatter Grodus' Shield Guard, but through some unexplained way or another, she soon felt her flaming fist connecting with the side of Grodus' face... and hard.

_And in a flash, it was over..._ Vivian had no clue of what just happened, or how it came about. All she knew was she'd broken through Grodus' spell and was now surrounded by a wall of her own element. She felt fire on the very tips her hair, but it didn't seem to be burning it up...

"Yes..." came the leader X-Naut's voice. Vivian could barely make out his trembling image among the heat of her fire. "Your power is formidable... Even more so than your older siblings... And we can hone it, train it, and make it a lethal threat to all who oppose you!"

The fire parted, as if on command, and Grodus stepped through. Vivian was surprised to see the entire left side of his face and staff were badly scalded, his white collar terribly singed. The firestorm disintegrated, leaving most of the small hallway black with ashes and smoldering cinders. The fivesome of X-Nauts now looked a lot like Elite X-Nauts, due to their white coats and bodies burnt in the inferno. Fortunately, Peach hadn't been harmed, as she was still trapped inside Grodus' charred shield.

Suddenly feeling drained, Vivian's tail lost balance and she fell to the ground, her body starting to ache again. She looked at her scorched gloves in awe.

_Did she really do all that? That attack... it wasn't even a spell... It didn't even have a name to it and was far too powerful to be either a Shade Fist or Fiery Jinx... What _was _that?_

"Siren, you hold a great power deep inside you," Grodus answered, as if reading her mind. "And as long as you are alive and in good health, it gets stronger as you get older. You don't know how to use yet and won't for another millennia or so... But why wait that long if I can just take that force and put it to good use now?"

Vivian struggled. She could feel herself starting to succumb to the aftereffect of her flaming eruption. "...What? ...what's wrong with me...? _Please..._ Please tell me... Why am I hurting so much...?"

"Being the Shadow Queen's last creation, you are a very special one indeed. She created you from the Ruby Crystal Star's attribute of beauty and bestowed upon you the element of fire. But what few know is that you also hold the very thing that countless Bandits and thieves have traveled the world for..."

"...What... are you saying?" she breathlessly coughed.

The commander's eyes glimmered again as he coolly fingered his rod's orb. "The Amethyst Crystal Star... the strongest one of all... the acclaimed treasure of Rogueport... now restsinside your very _beating heart!"_

...Vivian's mouth dropped open as the last part of Grodus' sentence began to sink in. All was unnervingly quiet for a moment...

_No... It wasn't true... The Amethyst Crystal Star?_ Inside_ her? _

_...It was all a legend... The stupid thing didn't even exist... and she had nothing to do with it! _

_She... she was a Crystal Star...? No...! She wasn't! She couldn't be...! It didn't make sense!_

"You're lying..." came her shaky voice. "That's not true! I'm not a Crystal Star! _You're lying!"_

"Believe me, siren, it's true. Why do you think you're in so much pain? Hmm?"

"_Why should you **care?**" _came the ominous growl.

"I pity you, siren; it seems you're in denial. Haven't you realized it yet? You're in pain because of the star dwelling inside you. It's reacting to the Crystal Star upstairs and the closer you get to it, the more it reacts and the more you suffer!"

"**_Stop calling me 'siren'!"_** Vivian snapped.

_There was that feeling again... That feeling of uncontrollable rage..._

Once again, her hands caught fire and her hair hovered menacingly behind her in a wall of flames. Without a moment's notice, she let the fire burst from her hands and towards Grodus like before. This time, she was intercepted by the X-Naut PhDs' own method of attack. All together, they cornered her and threw their weird potions and concoctions at the ground, stopping the blaze in a large burst of smoke.

"Your power is fueled by anger, fear, and rage," said the overlord. "Like wildfire, it spreads and grows as your emotions change for the worse... And I can put that power to good use."

"_Stop it!"_ Peach pounded against the Shield Guard. "Haven't you done enough damage already? _Leave her alone!"_

Vivian glared at Grodus through the smoke. _"How dare you actually try and use me as one of your twisted experiments! I swear, **I'LL KILL YOU!"**_ she snarled in a demonic voice.

Grodus chuckled at the rage in Vivian's now demented face. Apparently, he was able to see through the smoke, as well. "So it's all true... You're acting just like the legend said: _'Never trust the youngest spawn, for if you feed her anger and fear, she will revel herself a snake in woman's clothing...'_"

Vivian lunged forward with another volley of flames. **_"SHUT UP!" _**

_She would kill him... _

_Murder him... _

_Rip him to pieces..._

_Spare no mercy..._

_...Why was she thinking like this? She felt teeming with energy... and the desire to grab hold of something and let loose her fury until she just couldn't any more..._

The superior countered with his own round of fire, which were blue in comparison to Vivian's. The resulting explosion was disastrous, sending nearly everyone in the room in a wall.

"...Grodus, dude!" coughed one of the weaker X-Nauts, as the smoke settled. "I think it's time we wrap this up and hightail it outta here with the princess!"

The leader glared at him. "...What?"

"Sorry, dude... I mean, SIR! But I've just been informed that Mario has successfully defeated the 2.0 version of Offensive Mechanism #52: Magnus von Grapple!" the foot solider confirmed, referring to one of the X-Naut PhDs' communicators.

"...Very well, then," he turned to Vivian. "You put up a great fight, siren, but you will learn to heed my commands soon enough..."

"**_NEVER!" _**Vivian attacked again, this time by ramming herself into Grodus.

In a one swift motion, he grabbed a hold of her wrist and flung her into a nearby wall. With Vivian stunned, Grodus spun his staff about and summoned four Grodus X. The strange, triangular creatures surrounded and harassed their target. Try as she might, Vivian couldn't attack them as they whizzed about, continuously slashing into her skin.

Just as she thought she was about to grab one, Vivian quickly realized she was once again trapped inside Grodus' Shield Guard.

"This nonsense ends here!" he barked. "You will learn to obey me whether you like it or not! X-Nauts, grab these two and follow me. We are to meet Beldam at the Thousand-Year Door, posthaste! Is that understood?"

The X-Nauts saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Vivian angrily thrust herself against the Shield Guard, growling and snarling like a wild animal. **_"I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!"_**

Regardless of her threatening remarks, Grodus and his assistant X-Nauts carefully transported Vivian and Peach's bubbles to the second Sublevel.

"No, this can't be happening..." Peach watched in horror at the scene unfolding before her. Vivian was acting like a savage beast, Grodus' plan was coming together and she found herself unable to do anything about it...

It wasn't long before Vivian tired herself out and fell over from exhaustion. Blood was smeared where she'd been thrashing into the bubble's side.

Grodus scoffed at her depleted form. "She may be powerful, but her vigor needs more work... No matter, though. We'll focus on that after we get inside the Thousand-Year Door..."

Tears blurred Peach's vision. "Mario..." she whimpered. "Please... save us... Make this bad dream end... _Please... You've got just got to..._"

* * *

The elevator doors opened as Mario and Goombella stepped out, followed by a worried posse. 

"...This is Sublevel 4, the only place we haven't looked for Vivian yet..." Goombella glanced around. "But what happened here?"

Bobbery joined her in scanning the area. "Seems like a fight of some sort broke out down here."

"And somebody even tried to torch the place!" Waffles added, noting the singed walls and floor.

Suddenly spotting something on the ground, Mario went over to pick it up. He then brought it to Goombella to see exactly what it was.

The Goomba turned to him. "Mario, what's that thing?"

Flurrie perked up. "What's what?"

Goombella took the object from Mario and examined it. "It looks like... a sash or some piece of silk..."

"Let me see it," Ms. Mowz zipped past her and snatched the item away. Twisting it about in her paws, she sniffed it and her face suddenly became knowingly grave.

Koops saw this and panicked. "What's wrong?"

"...This is no sash..." muttered the mouse. "It's a piece of fabric torn from Peach's very gloves..."

"Crud!" Waffles stomped the ground. "That must've been why Four-Eyes attacked us in that piece of junk upstairs: to keep us from getting down here!"

"But... I smell fear in them..." continued the rodent. "It's an awful, twisted sort of fear..."

"And is that... is that _blood _down there?" Goombella questioned the others, her voice with a tinge of disgust in it.

Koops looked down. "Blood?"

Ms. Mowz sniffed the air again, her face still grim. "...Something terrible just transpired here..."

"Terrible?" Bobbery questioned. "What do you mean by that?"

"A dreadful, evil power was awakened in this very room... Unleashed in a wrath of pain... and I'm afraid Vivian had something to do with it..."

"You don't think... you don't think she got hurt, do you?" came Koops' hushed inquiry.

"I'm not sure..."

Goombella turned her up lip in thought. "Now, why'd she go and do something like this? She said she'd wait for us outside..."

"Maybe she was forced down here against her will..." mused Flurrie.

"You see? I knew we shoulda made her come with us!" Waffles blurted.

Bobbery walked up from the hall's furthermost side. "Well, there's nothing left in that room. Why not try that one? Peach could possibly be hiding in there."

Mario led the way into the unknown room to the hallway's other part. It was pitch black and no one could see a thing. Ms. Mowz's nose started twitching, but suddenly stopped, as the vague scent inexplicably faded from the area.

"I don't think there's anything in here, Mario," sighed Goombella. "Maybe Vivian's..."

"_You..."_ said a computerized voice. _"You are... Mario... are you not...?"_

Shocked, Flurrie looked around. "What on earth was _that?_"

Waffles stood poised to fight. "It must some kind of mechanical X-Naut or something!"

The lights slowly turned on, revealing the room to be completely empty, other than a rather large electronic machine taking up the entire left side.

"_I am sorry... My internal unit... shut down... Now running on back-up power..._ _But back-up power... failing..."_ uttered the computer.

"What is... that?" Koops asked no one.

"_I am... TEC..."_ answered the machine. _"This organization's mainframe... and... processing unit... I am glad you're here..."_

"Why's that? So you can vaporize us?" Waffles inquired, still ready to fight.

"_No... that is not my reason... You are the only ones... who can stop this insane plot now..." _

"Plot? What plot?" was the question on everybody's lips.

Goombella looked up, sensing the conspiracy's weighty significance. "Hey, TEC... I need to ask you something really important... Do you happen to know of someone being here earlier? A princess, maybe?"

TEC was silent for a moment, as the screen blinked on and off in a desperate attempt to stay operational. _"...Yes...Princess... taken away... Grodus has taken her... to the Thou... sand-Year Door... Ember... tried saving her... but it was... futile..."_

"Ember? ...Who's that?"

A fuzzy picture appeared on TEC's fading screen. It seemed to be a bird's-eye view of the hallway before, the camera being posited in the far right of the wall and near the door leading to TEC. The image was distorted and vague, but a few figures could be seen moving around on it. Goombella suddenly realized one of them.

"Hey... That one over there..." she walked over to TEC's far right side and gestured on the keyboard. "That one's... is that Vivian?"

Waffles jumped on the keyboard and squinted. "Yeah... I can see the hat! That's definitely her!"

"_This is...Ember... You call her... by the name of... Vivian, correct?"_

"Yeah, but why'd you call her that?" asked the Yoshi.

The supercomputer blinked again. _"...Not much time is... left... Please observe..."_

The others gathered around TEC's screen and watched as Vivian and another figure walked to the elevator, but were stopped as someone exited it. The other figure grabbed Vivian's arm and shook her several times before throwing her on the ground. The screen then flashed and went black, suddenly showing another scene later on in the confrontation. Vivian and the figure were fighting, with fire and smoke in the corridor and around the camera. Her mouth could be seen moving from time to time, but the camera has no sound and hearing any dialogue was virtually impossible. Before anything else could take place, the picture went black again, this time, not turning back on.

"_That is all... I can show... I'm afraid..."_ TEC fizzled. _"Please... save the princess from Grodus... I beg of you..."_

"But how are we going to get back home?" asked Bobbery.

"_There is a... teleporter upstairs... barely functioning... She is... with Ember... as well..."_

"You mean... Grodus took Vivian, too?" Koops tightened his fists in anticipation, hoping this wasn't true, yet expecting the answer to be 'yes'.

TEC got straight to the point. _"...He plans on manipulating her... as an experiment... in order to duplicate more... Shadow Sirens of... her age, but with... her sisters' caliber... so he can raise them... anew... All details... are in my hard drive...prior to Ember's departure..."_

Flurrie's eyed widened in shock. "That's absolute madness!"

"We can't let him do that!" Goombella shook her head.

Waffles sprinted for the door. "We've gotta get back and stop that creep from doing who-knows-what with Peach and Vivian!"

"_I will cease all functions... in order to power the teleporter upstairs... It's... the least I can do... for you... But promise you'll... promise you'll save Peach for me... and tell her..."_

TEC stopped.

"_Tell her... thank you... for me..."_

"...Sure, TEC... We promise," nodded Goombella.

The lights in the small room flickered and dimmed as TEC quietly muttered, _"You must... go now... before... it's too... late..."_

The lights flickered again, then went completely out, shrouding everyone in darkness. They suddenly turned on again, but in a deep, warning red color. TEC's CPU system was no longer blinking...

"Come on!" Waffles ran, nearly tripping over Mario's feet, as he made a beeline for the elevator. We've gotta get back to Rogueport before Grodus does!"

Bobbery followed, his fuse lit. "That scoundrel's gone too far this time!"

Flurrie brought up the Bob-omb's rear. "Yes, this nonsense must end!"

"Wait!" Goombella called. "Don't take it to the wrong floor! Remember, TEC said it was on Sublevel 2!"

Koops sighed, knowing it'd all come down to this... not only was he running off to save the princess, but Vivian's safety was at stake as well.

He gritted his teeth, knuckles starting to go numb from their tight squeezing.'_What could she possibly be **thinking?' **_he thought to himself._ 'Why didn't Vivian just stay put like she said she would?'_

"Koops..."

"Huh?" he whipped around to face a solemn Ms. Mowz.

"We need to be careful..." uttered the mouse, her tone darker than ever. "Something is amiss..."

Koops frowned. "Ms. Mowz, I don't have time for riddles... We need to get back to Rogueport and save Vivian!"

"Rushing into this sort of thing is foolish... We have to..."

"I know, but the longer we wait here, the more likely Vivian..."

_"Vivian is not the only on who needs saving!"_ she unexpectedly shouted, causing Koops to flinch. "Listen to me... If you don't look before you leap, you could be walking into certain death!"

The Koopa glared at her. She returned the glower full force. "I know you don't want to admit it, but Vivian's not what you thought she was... She's a demon, Koops; a full-fledged and very dangerous one...Despite her age... Vivian has more power than all three of her sister did combined... and Grodus probably knows this... That's why he captured her..."

"She's not a demon..." was the reply upon Koops' turning around. "Vivian's just a little different... She..."

"Your denial will be the death of you _and _Vivian if you don't heed my word! Ignorance isn't bliss when it comes to these terms..." she began backing away into the shadows. "...But I can't stop you, Koops... No one can but yourself..."

Koops walked to the door, not looking back. He watched the others scramble in front of the elevator, either trying to open it or arguing over whether the teleporter was on Sublevel 2 or 3. "I can make my own decisions now, Ms. Mowz... and I don't need anymore help..."

"...You say you don't need any help and yet you do..." she whispered. Koops exited the room, the automatic doors closing behind him. "You're going to need all the help you can get... that and much, _much _more..."

* * *

_**Authoress' Notes:** OH NOES! Vivian got caught by teh evil overlord guy, Grodus! XD I tried to make the TEC scene as sympathetic and informative at the same time as I could, especially since I can't remember EXACTLY everything he said. I guess you could say I sorta ad-libbed it a bit, but if that weren't the case, this entire thing would be a total snooze to read. :P _


	11. Valor

_**Authoress' Notes:** ...Doesn't it just suck when life gets in the way...? Well, because of that, I regret to inform you all that this is the last chapter for **"BOA"... **Read and enjoy. Details are at the end.

* * *

_

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 11:** Valor

* * *

_

Vivian opened her eyes in a murky abyss, squinting and blinking hard. She muttered incomprehensibly to herself as if she'd just come out of a horrible nightmare.

_Everything around her was so... distorted... The room felt like it was spinning... She was unable to get her head straight._

It was probably on account of her body's fatigue; the fight with Grodus proved more than it could handle and resulted in her losing all vitality, rather than prevailing and gaining strength from his defeat.

"Good to see you're finally awake. I was beginning to think you were dead or something," derided a faint voice.

Tired, exhausted, and dreary, she managed to slowly raise her head, the rattling of chains sounding with every movement. "...W-where am I...?"

"I'm surprised you don't know. Maybe it's been so long, you've forgotten..."

She coughed hoarsely. Her mouth was dry from earlier. Her body was tired, but her mind was racing. Not knowing where she was or what was going on made her nauseous. Slowly but surely, she began to regain her equanimity and sort out her current position. She wasn't in any immediate danger...

_But..._Where_ was she? Why was she here? Where was Mario? ...Where was Koops? Would he be angry about her breaking her promise and leaving when told not to?_ ...Vivian heaved a defeated sigh, realizing her past fantasy of happily eating Couple's Cake wouldn't be coming true as soon as first thought.

Inadvertently looking over to her left, she saw Princess Peach sprawled out on the floor... which looked recognizable in its patterns and style...

At that moment, she realized...

_This room... _It looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place her finger on it. The walls were dark and dreary with age-old wallpaper slowly peeling and rotting away in some places, as well as the dingy carpet. It was quite spacious with several pillars around the inside's edge and a huge door at the far end. Apparently, the interior once belong to royalty; despite the olden sanctuary, the designs were grandiose, with the plateau taking up most of the room ideal for any king or queen to dwell on.

_The scent... _

She could smell it so clear, but from so long along ago. It was a scent of... blood. Old, disgusting, and tortured blood... with decayed skin, molded bones and other bodily remains. Whoever left it must've died a horrible death, as it gave her a slight hint of security and pleasure as the dampened smell coursed through her mind... her very soul... unlocking past memories of which she never thought she'd see again.

_Pleasure? This smell was actually giving her pleasure?_ Vivian shuddered. _No... What was she thinking...? That couldn't be..._

Not only did the aroma reminisce of the grotesque beauty of the dead and dying, but it also gave her a vague, nostalgic feeling. A feeling of familiarity and awareness in a hazy memory that refused to leave her head...

_...It was of her sisters..._ She was sure of it. Nothing else in the entire world had the particularly enriching scent of Shadow Siren like her own kin. Their fragrances were well-embedded in the carpet's very fabric. It was like they were all right there with her... even Lillian. She turned her sights toward Grodus sitting upon a throne, the one thing that reminded her of the being who made all this possible...

"Mother?"

"So you haven't forgotten, after all," said Grodus.

Her tone suddenly turned sour. "...What you're doing is wrong. Mario will find you... and he'll... he'll stop you..."

"I beg to differ..."

Hearing this, Vivian angrily struggled in her chains against the wall. Despite her strength, she was unable to break free. With a soft groan of defeat, she lowered her head once again.

"_GRODUS!"_ came an unmistakable voice from the darkness. Vivian looked up in surprise to see Beldam rushing up the plateau's stairs, infuriated. "Just what do you think you're _doing_?"

"Putting our plan into action; I bring back your Shadow Queen and I gain custody of your errant sister for my own personal needs," he calmly responded.

"That wasn't in the plan!"

"The plan has changed, Beldam... And for the better, too..."

"What is holding this traitor captive going to prove? We don't need her!"

"_You_ may not need her, but _I _do. I plan on using her as a... how do you say it? ...A trump card, if you will... The Amethyst Crystal she carries will prove quite useful."

"We've got her away from Mario, so why not get rid her? She was their key advantage to knowing our plans. With her gone, the rest will drop like flies."

"Vivian didn't know enough of anything to use against us. Knowing her, she probably never even had the audacity to tell them. Isn't that right, siren?" Grodus smugly cupped her chin and jerked her head up straight.

"_Let go of me!" _Vivian responded with a violent yank of her neck.

"But I see she's still a bit feisty. Your sibling has more stamina than I first imagined... Maybe _too _much..."

"And that's my problem because...?"

Grodus shot Beldam a dirty look. "...Very well, then. I suppose as my pet, she _is_ my responsibility..."

"I'm **NOT** your pet!" Enraged, Vivian thrust a wad of spit into his glass eye.

"You'd best silence yourself, siren!" Grodus jammed his staff into her neck, pushing hard under her chin. "You will speak _only_ when spoken to! Is that understood?"

Vivian didn't answer.

"I reiterate: _Am I understood?"_

"...Yes..." the bitter response virtually marred her lips as she breathed it.

"Yes, _what_?"

Trembling in anger, she finally grumbled, "...yes, _sir_..."

Satisfied, Grodus removed his staff and stepped away... only to step forward again and jam his orb into her midsection.

With a loud groan, Vivian fell to the floor, teeth gritted in pain. The thick cufflinks binding her to the wall kept her body from sinking low enough to touch the ground, making her knuckles throb from the pressure of her weight pulling on them.

Grodus and Beldam walked away. "I assume that'll teach you to obey orders when they are given to you, yes?"

Vivian really couldn't care less of Grodus' taunting remarks. His means of punishment were just like Beldam's, a burden she'd suffered through for well over a millennium now. A punch in the stomach was nothing compared to one in the face. The stinging was already starting to cease, with her body recovering.

"Now that that's taken care of..." She faintly heard Beldam say, "What're we going to do about Mario and his pesky little friends?"

"What else? Relive him of the Crystal Stars and put them to proper use under our control."

"But now that he's acquired all seven, Mario will be quite a formidable opponent... A real pain in the..."

"Mario is nothing but a pawn to me. He depends on his friends and the Crystal Stars for all his attacks and maneuvers. Without them, he is useless. You see what happened when Doopliss took the liberty of stealing his identity?"

"Yes, and it almost worked to perfection, too..." She eyed her sibling. "That is, if it weren't for Vivian..."

"The juvenile has more value than she's worth. True, we could've beaten Mario while he was at his weakest, but he saved us the trouble of fetching the other Crystal Stars. Besides... according to what I've heard from the X-Nauts, that little incident might've been avoided if you and that other bumbling sister of yours had your act together."

"There was nothing we could do; the little brat sabotaged the whole thing," Her reply was quick and cold. "What's past has past. Mario was a small menace then, yet he's a big threat now."

"...That's why I need you to confront him and make sure he doesn't make it this far and become a definite hazard," Grodus paused. With a hint of disgust, he added, "This is a perfect opportunity for you to make up for your earlier failures."

"...Taking him down at this point will difficult... We might need some backup..."

"It _will_ be done," he sternly interrupted.

Beldam apparently took his words in offense and threateningly turned to glare at him, only to be met with his own heartless, glass eyes. Vivian could practically feel her hatred emitting across the room.

After a bit of a stare down, the elder finally conceded and said, "Not yet. We still have one more trick up our sleeve..."

"And that is?"

"Our loyal pet, Gloomtail. A real sweetheart... if you know how to get on his good side," she answered. "He'll rip Mario to shreds for sure."

"I ponder why you are so reluctant to face Mario in battle, Beldam. Am I sensing some doubt from you?"

"If there's any doubt in this room, it'll be for Vivian."

_...She didn't care _what _Beldam said._ _Not Grodus, the X-Nauts, Doopliss, or anyone else she came in contact with..._ She was who she was and could never do a better job being anything else.

If they hated her because of_ what_ she was... Fine, that was typical. Everybody hated Shadow Sirens; trying to convince herself otherwise seemed not only foolish, but mind-numbingly insane.

If they hated her because of _who _she was... then maybe that meant, in some strange sense or way, she was a priceless gem amongst a heap of useless junk. Perhaps she_ was_ special and not just because of the Amethyst Crystal Star they said she held._

* * *

_

It had been a long and awkward trip, coming back from the moon only to stock up on a few supplies from the conveniently-placed Underground Shop, then following Prof. Frankly to their final test of endurance: the Thousand-Year Door. Goombella warned them beforehand how dangerous it was and noted the place of eternal damnation was not to be taken lightly. This made Koops felt powerless and stupid, thinking about Vivian every step of the way.

"Koops, come on... Don't worry about it," said Goombella, seeing his slump. "Vivian and Peach are both in the same place, so if we find one, we'll find the other."

"Someone should've stayed with her... then she'd still be with us..." he muttered.

Waffles turned around. "Oh, get a grip already! You're acting like she's dead, or something! Vivian has a thing for getting into trouble, but she always finds her way outta it, all right?"

"I concur," put in the admiral. "That scoundrel probably just stole her in order to intimidate us."

Koops violently shook his head, like he was trying to clear his conscious. Why was he moping like this? Like there was no hope left and Vivian was gone forever? Not to mention he was wasting time and attracting too much attention to himself. Whining over Vivian's absence suddenly made him realize how immature it was.

"Yeah, you guys are right. Sorry about that," he meekly smiled.

It was time to get serious. Being in this place, the so-called 'Palace of Shadow', proved to be a serious risk and maybe even a fatal grave for those who refused to tread lightly. So far, they'd encountered several rotating lines of fire, intimidating enemies, a room where spikes ejected from the carpet with each step taken, and just recently fought through a horde of Dry Bones to catch their leader for, as the Dark Bones liked to call it, a skeleton key.

He hadn't seen Ms. Mowz since they left the moon and almost believed she didn't come back with them. But she was there... In some small way or other, she was always there. Always being the type to know when to leave and when to appear, she was merely avoiding contact with him for the time being. After how he acted on the moon, it was no wonder...

* * *

Aside from his circumstances, Koops suffered from a severe dislike of this place. As its name implied, it was dark and murky; only a few lit torches lead the way on the numerous amount of staircases and he couldn't even begin to count the number of times they got lost. 

One of the rooms they entered was like a puzzle, with two staircases going left and right, leading to two other doors along with the one on the ground floor. Bobbery proposed the team split up all try all three, but that proved to be a careless mistake. The whole group either ended up getting through the correct door, reentering the current room, or finding themselves in the previous chamber. It didn't take long before chaos ensued as they started opening doors, closing doors, slamming them in irritation, or running through a door, quickly jumping downstairs and picking a door at random, hoping to get through.

After a while of utter confusion, Mario noticed the correct door in each room always had a torch lit next to it, leading into the next room. Following his assumption, everyone soon found themselves in a spacious, concrete area with a large moat, a mysterious building, and Red Chomps bouncing about in their standard, fuming temper. 

"We did it! _Finally_!" Waffles cheered.

Flurrie took in the area's cold, damp scent. "But now where are we? Looks like some underground metropolis..."

"That's exactly what it is, Flurrie," said Goombella, makimg her way to the moat. "This is the very part of that ancient city the demon destroyed over a thousand years ago! It's so perfectly preserved! There're even still some footprints on the pavement!"

"Then what's that ghastly-looking tower over there?"

"Huh?" she turned and frowned. "Weird... I don't remember that being in the history books..."

"Maybe that means history ain't all it's cracked up to be..."

"Waffles!"

"Well, it _could_!"

"Doesn't look like there's any way to get in there," said the Bob-omb, peering from the moat's edge. "The door looks to be locked."

"Now what?" asked the Yoshi.

Koops surveyed the vast setting, suddenly realizing a door was on the far end of the east wall. "Why don't we try that one? Over there?"

Goombella squinted. "I guess it wouldn't really hurt if we just checked it out."

"And what if it's like that crazy stair maze in the other room, huh?" Waffles frantically questioned. "We could be trapped in there forever!"

"Not if we adhere to dear Mario's instructions, like last time," said Flurrie.

* * *

Fortunately for Waffles, the path behind the door proved to be a simple one. It led down a few long corridors with the sporadic Chain Chomps and Phantom Embers loitering about. The sequence of carpeted hallways finally stopped at a door. Suddenly, Koops began shivering as they neared it... 

_Something was wrong. **Very** wrong... He sensed a terrible force from behind the entrance... Not to mention how eerily dark and cold the hall suddenly became... _

He could hear someone... _something..._ breathing deeply... growling quietly... The rhythms of its breaths were displayed in short bursts of transparent, green mist seeping through underneath the door...

"Guys... wait a second..."

Goombella stopped. "Huh? Why? What's wrong?"

Koops quickly rubbed his shoulders with trembling hands. "Something... something awful's in there..."

"Not this again! Vivian did the same thing on the moon!" Waffles pointed out. "Are you trying to be a slacker?"

"...No... It's like... an omen... Whatever's in there... I have a bad feeling about it..."

"Do you want to wait out here, then?" inquired the Goomba.

That made Vivian look bad. The only reason she didn't fight back in the X-Nauts' Fortress was due to a serve illness.Sure, he was scared, but he wasn't sick...

"No... It's all right. I'll go..."

Convinced they were ready, Mario pushed open the heavy door; the loud squeaking and groaning of its rotted hinges didn't make Koops feel any better about venturing into the immense obscurity. The team set forth into the pitch-black room as the thick door slammed shut with a quick squeak, followed by a frightening thud.

With the chamber void of all light, Koops had to rely on his hearing to pinpoint everyone's location and tell exactly who was doing what.

"It's so dark in here..." said Goombella. Her voice sounded far off, indicating she was further away.

"And stinky..." came Waffles' voice, which sounded closer.

"Yeah..." Koops strained his eyes to focus. The citadel already lived up to its name of 'shadow' but this room was ominously gloomy...

And the smell... _That odor..._ It was so foul, but Koops swore he'd smelt it before... Dank, barren, and musty, it reeked of danger... It reeked of_ evil... _It reeked of...

"**_Who are you?"_** boomed a thunderous voice.

Startled, Koops slowly looked up to see it...

_It was her... Inching from the shadows... That ugly face... Those nasty teeth... Those malicious eyes... It was like his nightmare coming true all over again... _

**_He saw it... It was happening again..._**

**_Scarring his face in the rough dirt... His mother being torn apart... Hooktail turning her enormous head just enough to smile at him with blood-stained teeth..._**

"What the... WOAH!" Waffles tilted his head back so far, he fell over.

"Who dares disturb me in my sacred domain of darkness? **SPEAK NOW!**"

Goombella did a double take. "Wait a minute! Hooktail...? What's she doing here? I thought we already defeated her!"

"**WHAT?"** the dark dragon growled. "You did _what_ to my little sister?"

"...Sister?"

"Nice going, Einstein," Waffles grumbled.

Koops fell to the ground, face pale and trembling. His memories began taking control of his whole body, blocking out the realization that this dragon wasn't the one responsible for ruining his life...

* * *

_No... Hooktail was dead! She was dead! He saw Mario's Hammer whack her good on the toes! And she was in so much pain, with the cricket's sound of his badge! There was no way she could've survived...!_

"**_Pitiful Koopa..."_**

_He looked up again. _**"**_**No..."** Everyone was gone now. The only thing visible was Hooktail's snout slowly inching from the shadows..._

"_**I may've been defeated, but that does nothing for you..."** _

"_**That's not true!" **he screamed, close to tears. _

_She seemed to take sadistic pleasure in his pain.** "How dare you try to exact revenge by calling on your little pals? What a coward..."**_

"**_I'm not a coward... No... I... I went there... I-I helped defeat you!"_**

_Her nasty grin shone through the bleak abyss. **"I could've devoured you just like I did your mother, but you had to cheat..."**_

"_**No..."**_

"**_That fight was just between us you know it... Defeating me with the help of others yields no honor for you..."

* * *

_**

"Dude!" Waffles called as he shook the Koopa. "What is _wrong _with you?"

Goombella winched at him sitting in a fatal position in a wall's corner. Koops looked like his very soul had been ripped right out of him... His expression was blank and lifeless; his face was pale, with shaking knuckles clutching his jacket in horror. Sweat drenched his brow as his eyes brimmed with tears.

"Waffles... leave him alone..."

"Huh?"

"Leave him alone... He has some problems..."

"What problems? What are you talking about?"

_Problems... Is that what they called them? When you're forced to live on after your mother was killed and your father abandoned you? _

"I see..." the dragon smiled, showing his ugly, yellow teeth. "It takes a strong soul to venture this far into the Palace of Shadow... Your efforts should be commended, but you must not value your lives too well, as you stand before the great Gloomtail, your very fate!"

His words seemed to slowly fade in and out of Koops' hearing... He wasn't even all there anymore... 

_This thing... It killed his mother... and tore his family apart. __Why couldn't it have been him? He was an outcast because of her..._

By now, he knew this monster, while resembling her, wasn't actually Hooktail... But his mind refused to let go. Instead, it replayed all sorts of images through his mind... His mother doing all the things she used to love so much...

_Picking flowers in Petal Meadows for a vase over the kitchen sink... _

_Carefully hanging his wet shirts out to dry on a clothesline... _

_Gently polishing his shell's scratches whenever he fell on it..._

_Offering him milk and cookies after a long day of playing outside..._

_Gently consoling him with words of wisdom when he felt lonely..._

_Reading him and Koopie Koo bedtime stories about Yoshies who always played together on their fun-filled island..._

_He knew those blissful times wouldn't last forever, but... did they have to be cut so short...? So soon...?_

...Koops was suddenly pulled from his memories as a feeling came over him... The feeling that someone was watching his every move from a concealed location.

Coming back from his dismal recollections, he glanced around only to notice was still in same dark abyss from before, except Hooktail was gone and replaced with...

"...Ms. Mowz?"

"Yes... I've come to relieve you of your pain..."

He looked down in defeat. "Oh, Ms. Mowz... I'm so sorry about..."

She placed a finger on her nose in a shushing manner. "Apologies are for the guilty, not the mislead."

"I thought I got over this... I really did..."

"You'll never get over it as long as you love your mother... That's what makes you the stronger warrior."

He lifted his head. "...What?"

"We all make mistakes and you're no exception... But you can redeem yourself by standing up to your fears. You have to keep this in mind... That's not Hooktail, for she is gone and never coming back. You defeated her once before and you're not going to show her brother any mercy."

He resumed his sulking position. "That's easier said than done..."

Seeing the message wasn't getting through, the rodent lowered her tone. "...I know the past can hurt, but when push comes to shove, you can either run from your problems... or learn from them."

"I don't think that's possible... I can never learn enough to forget about what that monster did to me... I can't get it out of my system..."

"...Would you do it for Vivian? If she were here, would you do everything in your power to make sure she'd be safe?"

There was a still silence before he rose his head again, tears dried on his cheeks. "...Of course I would... I'd... I'd give anything for her..."

"Then get up," she demanded. "And prove it. You said you wanted to be brave, Koops, and if you don't take a stand for what you think is right... then maybe _should_ just go back home."

She saw his eyes widen at the crude remark. He turned to her with a tortured visage. "...What're you saying?"

"That you're a coward..." Her face was overshadowed and emotionless as she whispered those horrible words to him. "_...That's_ what I'm saying."

He smiled at her... laughed, even. His smirking practically overflowed with the delusion and torment of harsh reality. "I always thought you were supposed to be some sort of an omen, a guide, or a sage... But right now, you're doing a pretty cruddy job..."

"I'm here to show you the path of enlightenment. I never said it was going to be pretty. The truth is actually very ugly... Ugly, indeed..."

His sarcastic smiling was gone now, replaced with a nasty scowl. The rodent could've cared less of the Koopa's reactions. He was currently going through a difficult stage, meaning he needed to be confronted with the cold, hard truth before showing progress.

"The day your mother died was the day you lost your common sense. You now blindly follow your faulty intuition, going for the things you_ want_, not need, and refusing to mean what you say!"

_**"That's not..."**_ he paused and glared at the misty floor, realizing how angry he sounded. "That's not true..."

"The truth hurts, Koops... But the lies also have their fair share of pain... The pain of denial."

_It didn't make any sense. Why was she doing this? Was she really trying to help him...? Or break down his very will to fight for some inhumane purpose...?_

Another tear ran down his cheek. "I'm so confused..."

"When lost, the confused find their way out of a forest, but the delirious stay there forever, following that same tree they_ thought _they passed on the way in."

His shell trembled and he lowered his head again, hands clutching his head. It was only a matter of time before he went back to his fatal position.

"I think it's time I took my leave... Goodbye, Koops," she turned to begin her departure. After walking a few feet, she stopped. "I know you love Vivian, but there is a difference between love... and _obsession_. Which do you think you have?"

After a moment, she heard, "Can you blame someone for being desperate? For wanting something to make up for their pain so much, they forgot what they were doing in the first place...?"

"...I guess I can't..." she answered with a chuckle and continued walking. "There's hope for you yet, Koops... There's hope for you yet..."

_

* * *

_

In a flash, his vision ended. Ms. Mowz's image faded into the mist and Koops found himself back in the black beast's dungeon. From the looks of things, the battle had already started with Mario and the others at a big disadvantage, due to their shortage of members by three.

"Your endeavors are enough to make me laugh _myself_ into defeat!" taunted Gloomtail.

He lifted a gigantic foot, as everyone darted away from the oncoming earthquake. Catching her handkerchief between her feet, Goombella fell over before getting far enough to safety.

"Goombella, look out!" shouted Waffles.

She got up and ran again, but just wasn't fast enough to escape the dragon's large claws. Goombella could practically feel the foot's weight slamming down, crushing her tiny body and ending her life abruptly. Yet all she could do was hope he'd miss...

With the force of a hundred Bob-ulks, Gloomtail drove his foot into the ground and snorted. "There! One down, four to go!"

Lifting his foot, the behemoth was shocked to see nothing of Goombella remaining. Not a trace of her was on his toes or the floor.

...Goombella opened an eye. _Was she dead? Was her life over? Did she really bite the dust? __Yeah, she was probably dead... and what a way to go, too..._

She frantically glanced around her murky surroundings, looking for a sign of something until she noticed...

"Koops!"

Shaking the rubble off his head, Koops stood, holding her in his arms. "And you say _I'm _not careful."

"Then that means... I'm not dead?"

He smiled. "I guess not, huh?"

Waffles dashed over. "Whoa, dude! What a comeback! Goombella would've been a goner for sure if it weren't you! I mean, you were like a rocket, man! I didn't even see you and..."

"Koops...?" she eyed him worriedly, as Waffles went on with his ramblings. "You sure you're okay with this?"

"Yeah, it's fine... There's nothing else I can do about it... So I'm just going to let it go... and concentrate on helping you guys instead!"

"So, I suppose we have you back then?" asked Flurrie.

"Wonderful!" Bobbery said. "I think I feel a comeback in our future, yes?"

Gloomtail growled loudly for attention. "So, you've convinced the Koopa to come out of his shell? Fine! Have it your way! The more of you, the better!"

* * *

With those final words, the long fight with Gloomtail continued, proving its worth in difficulty as in its lengthiness. According to Goombella, the sound of crickets didn't affect the older brother. This unfortunate setback didn't seem to faze Mario as he continuously pummeled away. The rest followed as well, throwing everything they had at the dragon. 

Gloomtail had a few tricks of his own, sometimes using his ominous Megabreath attack. He'd occasionally lash out to try and take a bite out of anyone unfortunate enough to be in the way. He even used his weight to his greatest advantage by jumping around the room, almost to the point where the ceiling collapsed.

Koops thought about Vivian throughout the entire fight, mostly on how great need they were of her Veil's protective effects. Then again... she'd be so stressed and worn before even launching an attack. She couldn't shield them all at the same time, so maybe it'd be better she didn't take part in the battle.

After a few more hits, Gloomtail angrily thrashed his head back and forth. "You bothersome little pests! First you barge in here, disturb my sleep, destroy my dear, sweet sister, and dare to make me this mad?! I swear I'll make sure you never make it out alive!"

He thrust his three hook-like tails into the wall, causing a massive tremor. Everyone was able to avoid the attack, but the quaking made Koops lose balance and fall on his rounded shell.

The Koopa silently cursed to himself for being incapable of getting up. He rocked around his shell, trying to land on his other side, but to no avail; while his shell was his greatest weapon, it also proved to be his greatest weakness.

Gloomtail's snout hovered over him. "Now, payback time, huh? I think I'm going to enjoy a nice, tasty Koopa for my first meal in aeons!"

* * *

"Ow!" Vivian's eyes snapped open in pain. A sharp sting went though her head. _What _was _that? An itch...?_ _Cramping?_ She wondered. 

...Probably nothing... It was gone, anyway... She closed her eyes again to try and resume her dozing.

But instead of darkness, she saw Koops helpless on his shell in front of Gloomtail. The grungy walls covered with remnants of the dragon's Megabreath attack.

**_

* * *

_**

Gloomtail stopped dead in his tracks, a big foot nearly ready to crush Koops.

"What...? What is this?" he growled, barely able to move his mouth. "What is this... **_sorcery? _**Are you doing this?"

Koops knew whatever was happening to Gloomtail wasn't his intention. He was actually planning on using a Shell Slam in hopes of a quick escape.

_She didn't know how it happened... She really didn't. It was like... almost natural to her. Like she'd done it once before... _

"But that can't be..."

Although Gloomtail and his siblings were born to obey the Shadow Sirens, only Beldam and Marilyn could manipulate them with advanced witchery.

"**_You have been defeated..."_** she whispered._ **"Your energy has been drained... You have nothing left... The intruders were only a figment of your imagination..."**_

"I have been defeated... Energy has been drained... Nothing left... Intruders... Only a figment of imagination... " Gloomtail mindlessly repeated.

"_**You will sleep now... Go back to your dreams of peace... Your discomfort has ended..." **_

Gloomtail's eyes became heavy. With a loud groan, he backed away from Koops and toppled over. The following thud of his collapse made the whole palace quake. After the shaking ceased, Goombella broke the uneasy hush.

"Koops? Did you... did you just _defeat _Gloomtail?"

"Maybe the fighting tired him out..." he answered, unsure of what really happened.

"I don't think so. With us on the verge of losing, you'd think he'd..."

Waffles stood prominently. "We weren't on the verge of losing!"

"Well, whatever happened..." Bobbery looked about warily. "He's out of our hair now, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah..." Quickly rocking his shell, Koops sprung forward with all his might and landed on his stomach. "That's one less thing we have to worry about..."

"But we have another thing to worry about in place of that!" groaned Goombella.

Flurrie sighed. "What's that, now?"

"We had to use nearly all our items on that big blowhard! All we have left is a Super Shroom!"

"**_Behind Gloomtail..."_**

"Huh...?"

"**_There's a large crack in the wall. Send Bobbery over to blow it open... There's more than enough stuff there to help..." _**

_Was that Vivian's voice? ...Was she talking to him through her mind?_

"...Vivian?"

She heard him. _**"Koops?"** _

_Fear cut into her consciousness, breaking her focus and ending their conversation... _

Suddenly enlightened, Koops turned to the admiral. "Bobbery?"

"Sir?"

"Over there... On the other side of Gloomtail... there's a crack in the wall... Can you go blow it open?"

The Bob-omb seemed skeptical, but agreed. He blew apart the wall and squeezed through the tight opening as told. A moment later, he returned with an Ultra Shroom and a Jammin' Jelly.

"This is great!" Goombella grabbed the Ultra Shroom. "This is more than enough to go around! But... how did you know it was there?"

Koops flashed a sheepish smile. "I guess you can say it was a... lucky guess..."

* * *

Vivian opened her eyes. She keep her gazed fixated upon the floor, afraid her captors found something amiss. _They didn't notice, did they? _Holding her breath, she slowly looked up... and heaved a sigh of relief to see neither paying her any mind. A loud thud from somewhere else in the palace told her the spell had worked and Gloomtail was no longer a threat. 

"It seems that Mario has defeated you pet," muttered Grodus, knowing what it was.

Beldam seemed tentative. "...Only a minor setback. Gloomtail has apparently lost some of his luster after being down here for so long... Probably tripped over his own feet and knocked _himself _out, the big klutz..."

"You hesitance sickens me..."

"...And yet you seem hesitant to rid us of this problem yourself..."

"_Excuse _me?"

"We're supposed to be working as a team, Grodus; however, you continue to badger me about this Mario! I didn't get smacked on the head by a hammer for nothing, mind you! So, maybe if you stopped pestering me, I can _do_ something about this problem!"

"You _dare_ raise your voice at me? Don't tell me you're thinking of joining your insubordinate sister over there!"

"I already told you to get rid of that idiot! She's dead weight to us now!"

"She has the Amethyst Crystal Star!"

"That doesn't matter as long as we bring the Shadow Queen back!"

It was plain to see that Beldam and Grodus were becoming more and more cross with each other by the second. Vivian knew how easily her sister got mad, never being afraid to show it. Grodus wasn't so quick to anger, but he did go a little off the deep end when annoyed. Maybe if she was lucky, they'd end up destroying each other before Mario got there...

Enraged, Beldam cast a blizzard spell on Grodus, who countered with a wall of whitish-bluish flames. Twisting his staff, the Grodus X were summoned to attack her. She responded by freezing them in their tracks and disappeared. Foreseeing this tactic, Grodus turned to aim his staff at the reemerging siren, but was stopped as she appeared too close and froze part of his staff. He quickly stabbed the rod's pointed side into the ground, nearly piercing her hat as she disappeared.

Gazing past the feuding pair, Vivian saw Marilyn and Doopliss standing near the door, as if they were guarding it. Their presence had been completely neglected until now. She couldn't remember ever seeing them earlier...

"Beldam, we must bring an end to this madness!" Grodus finally shouted. "For if we don't, we could end up destroying ourselves over a pitiful little irritant!"

"_Your words don't persuade me,"_ echoed her voice from the shadows.

"Don't you see? This is exactly what Mario wants us to do! To destroy ourselves in rage of nothingness, while strides in here and claims what's to be ours!"

"_I don't think you understand our power. You may be in command, but enough is enough... You in _our _domain now, if you haven't forgotten..."_

"But you can't remove the seal placed upon your queen's tomb..." he retorted haughtily. "Only a creature not born into shadow can do so. All others are rendered helpless."

Realizing he was right, Beldam reappeared from the shadows on the other side of the room. She and Grodus engaged in another intense stare down before the X-Naut supreme cleared his voice.

"We have to keep our cool. Fighting one another like this is absurd..." he walked over to the plateau's middle, freeing his right arm from clutching the rod. "Mario will be here soon. Now's not the time to bicker when we're both so close to getting what we want. Truce?"

Beldam gave in as well, meeting Grodus in the room's core. "I'm not letting our sacrifices be in vain... Truce..."

The two seemed to be shaking hands, but it looked more like some kind of arm wrestling match to Vivian. Deviously grimacing to each other, Beldam and Grodus squeezed palms tightly in the way a pair of old rivals would, each respecting the other for their great strength.

"Now... What should we do?"

"Marilyn, Doopliss, and I will put a stop to this nonsense once and for all," she turned to the Duplighost and her portly sister near the stair's bottom. "Gloomtail was actually supposed to be guarding a key that leads into Riddle Tower, that big building surrounded by the moat in the heart of the palace. If Mario ever gets out alive, we'll ambush him there."

"Is it some kind of torture chamber?"

"I suppose you could put it that way... We used to enjoy putting our victims in there and watch from the shadows as they went insane trying to find the Palace Keys to lead them out. Only residents of this palace know where they are and how to get them."

"Good. Your plan appears to have no flaws, but what if I added a little... safeguard to it?" Vivian felt her heart skip a beat as X-Naut leader eyed her with dishonest intentions.

Beldam joined him in staring. "...You want to use the brat? You know she'll only bungle everything like last time..."

"Don't worry about _what_ she'll do, for that is up to me to decide."

She swallowed hard. _What exactly did he mean by that? Why was he coming over to her? What if he started torturing her until she joined with Beldam again?_

Vivian's heart pounded frantically at his approach, her breaths quickening in horror. Knowing it was useless, she made another vain attempt to escape from her imprisonment. Regrettably, the effort ended in failure for the umpteenth time.

Grodus inched closer and closer, looming menacingly over her. "With Doopliss on their side, there's a chance we might prevail over Mario, but just for a bit of added insurance... I want you to go with them."

"You can't tell me what to do... Beat me up, if you want... but I refuse..." she snapped, keeping her focus on the floor.

The leader raised his staff as it began to emit a bluish glow. Moving it about in an odd manner, he spoke, "You will obey me and do what I say... You will not question me in my commands and will always react without a moment's hesitance..."

Seeing what he was trying to do, Vivian frowned and turned away. "No! No! I won't!"

"You will heed my orders and do what you're told..."

"No..."

"Your insubordination has to stop... and it _will_ stop! So says your master..."

"...N-no..." Not looking into Grodus' orb wasn't working. Vivian felt herself... _her body, her mind, her self-control..._ being drawn from her grasp of power and into the dark void of his hypnotizing spell. It was like losing consciousness all over again.

"Don't try and fight it, siren. Doing so will only hurt you more."

Vivian soon came to the horrible realization that she didn't possess the strength to fight off his incantation. It was evident she was slowly losing the battle of keeping her wits. Her thoughts were melting into nothing but blank spots in her mind... _Her fear, her anger, her sorrow... _they were gradually becoming nothing more than mindless devotion to her new master. It was useless to struggle and pointless to try and escape.

Powerless, she squeezed her eyes harder; a tear sparkled on her eyelash.

_"I'm sorry, Koops... I'm so sorry..."_

The tear flowed down her cheek, dropping off her face and onto the dingy carpet, making a soft, pattering sound in the quiet room...

* * *

Koops sat up, looking around in a panic. Waffles saw this and leisurely questioned, "What's wrong with you _now_?" 

"It was Vivian..." came the startled whisper. After a slight pause, he went on. "I heard her. She said she was... she was sorry..."

"_Yeah..._ right. I'm sure she did..." Waffles backed away and twirled his finger near his head, indicating Koops was starting to lose it.

"I'm not crazy!" he snapped. "I heard her! I swear I did!"

Flurrie put a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you're just thinking of Vivian too hard, precious."

"Or he could be right; this crazy place may have played a role in manipulating thoughts," added the Bob-omb.

"Well, Gloomtail's done with and we've got this key, so I guess we're supposed to go to that weird tower we saw out there," said Goombella.

Everyone agreed and got up to leave Gloomtail's chamber after taking time to recuperate. Their minds made up and coordinates set, everyone ventured out the solitary door and back down the hallway from whence they came. Koops placed a hand on the exit to open it, but froze in his tracks as he heard a faint clapping sound...

"Bravo, Koops, bravo. I must congratulate you on you endeavors, for they were something to be desired."

He didn't move an inch. "Ms. Mowz... Back there... with Gloomtail and all... I didn't mean to bite your head off like that..."

"Your heart was in the right place, but your mind was not. And as they say, no harm, no foul," She appeared beside him. "But you've done your part for now. It's time I offered my assistance."

"What do you mean?"

"You did not truly defeat Gloomtail."

"Then, what happened to him?"

"It was Vivian."

"Vivian...?" he looked surprised. "But she's not here. She couldn't have done it."

"Vivian and Gloomtail's soul were two of many formed from the Crystal Stars. Because of that, Vivian merely communicated with his mind and lulled him into a dormant state."

"You mean... she can do that?"

"Her sisters can, but Vivian hasn't the experience to accomplish such a feat. It was instinct... Out of pure concern for her friends. She saw your peril and came to your aid... because you did the same for her."

"But..."

"Hmm?"

"Just a minute ago... I heard Vivian say she was sorry. She sounded so sad."

The white rodent walked away. "Just keep yourself in check and you won't have to worry about her location."

"But, I thought..."

"That doesn't matter now. I assure you, you'll see Vivian very soon..."

Koops watched Ms. Mowz casually follow everyone else out the door and close it behind her. He hoped she was right. He hoped Vivian was safe, wherever she was... And he hoped he could find her before it was too late..._

* * *

_

_**Authoress' Notes:** Well, as much as I hate to say it, **"BOA"** is officially over. It was fun writing it and I'm very sorry for the inconvenience. I've just realized I'm starting to lose interest in **"PM: TTYD"** altogether. It's still a great game, but it's not what it used to be anymore. I'm also sorry to say that I'll end the story on a sour note: Koops eventually leaves Vivian after realizing how their love can never be and has kids with Koopie Koo. Vivian kills herself while Beldam and Marilyn mourn their loss and disappear from the Mushroom Kingdom, never to be seen again. The end._

_**...APRIL FOOLS!** XD Ah, I've been waiting all year to do that! ...Okay, okay... I know probably some people are mad at me for this, but it's all in good fun. **"BOA"** is nowhere near over, if it bothers you that much. And I still play **"PM: TTYD" **nearly 5 times a week, lol. Also, didja see the quote I got from a prestigious movie? The rodent says it. Can you guess where they're from? Also, 2 years ago today, news of **"PM: TTYD"** was released into public, but not belived because it was April Fools Day? XD Good thing that wasn't a hoax, huh?_


	12. Gratitude

_**Authoress' Notes:** Events leading to **"BOA II" **are within our grasps! I've even decided to use roman numerals because they're all dramatic and stuff, lol. I've already got the plot and characters, but I still need to tie together a few more loose ends... Other than that, please read on and enjoy!

* * *

_

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 12:** Gratitude

* * *

_

_How long was it going to be before this madness ended? All he wanted to do was go home and continuing living the way _normal_ Koopas lived... But at this point, he was anything_ but_ a normal Koopa. How many Koopas did he know actually aided a famous superstar in saving the world, instead of making things worse? None, that's who,_ Koops thought to himself as they crossed a concrete bridge leading to the weird tower. He didn't know why, but ever since Gloomtail had succumbed to... whatever he had succumbed to, he was feeling quite sure of himself.

Arriving at the elongated doors, Mario pushed them open to reveal a null and void area, seeping with malevolence. ...It was cold, dark, and eerily quiet as they stepped inside. Koops hated this place enough on the outside, but the inside felt dangerously demonic... The entire decor consisted of an ugly, faded blue with the sporadic spotting of bright stars having a glow-in-the-dark effect to them. There was a spiraling staircase in the middle and several doors located around it.

"Any idea on what this place is supposed to be?" asked Waffles.

Goombella looked around the room. "...It could be some sort of battling arena and each these doors leads to a different opponent... That's all I can say. I really have no idea what this thing's for..."

"I don't think we should be separating in this place," said Ms. Mowz. "Chances are, it's _riddled _with traps..."

Koops was ready to agree before doing a rather delayed double take._"Riddled"? What was that supposed to mean? Did she mean to use that type of word, or was it only a coincidence?_

"Yeah, you're right," responded Goombella, not catching on. "Do you think it matters what door we try first?"

The rodent walked over to a door on the room's west side. "Oh, no, not at all. Every door looks the same to me, so why not try our luck on this one? I'm sure our predicament will eventually reveal our _key _objective very soon."

It didn't take much contemplating before Bobbery perked up. "Key? Wait a minute... Didn't Gloomtail spit up a strange-looking key? Maybe we have to get some more keys to use along with it, or something..."

"Oh, good! It seems that you've stumbled upon something very important! Why, with a bit of good luck and a lot of hard work, I bet we'll get through this silly little funhouse in no time."

Opening the door, she stepped in with the others following suit. Koops lagged behind, skeptical about her little tip-off. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but she seemed to have become quite loquacious ever since they step foot in the building...

* * *

The new room didn't seem appear much different from the main foyer; it had the same creepy feeling, the same dull decor, and the same foreboding essence amid its grimy walls. The only thing of note were two red "!" blocks and a small message embedded on the wall's far end. 

Approaching the message first, Flurrie read,**"Beyond, beyond, beyond... Complete All Seven... Before, before..." **

Waffles raised an eyebrow. "Now what the heck is that supposed to mean?"

Goombella flipped through her Tattle Log. "Sorry guys, but I don't think this is going to help... There's nothing in here about riddles."

"Maybe it has something to do with the Crystal Stars," put in Koops.

"Yes, perhaps we have to use their power to make the key appear in this room," was the Admiral's suggestion.

Ms. Mowz suddenly barged in. "_Riddles_, you say? Hmm... Well, not to gloat, but I happen to be quite skilled at brainteasers, especially the kind that don't seem to make any sense."

"Then, let's see you make heads or tails of this," challenged Waffles.

"It's simple, really. **'Beyond, beyond, beyond...'** That must mean the red block _beyond_ the first one, meaning Mario has to hit this block three times. **'Before, before...'** is referring to the previous block and since that only says it twice, he must only strike it two times. I don't know how you couldn't see that from the beginning."

Not being the type to stand around, Mario hit one block three times and the other twice. Instantly, black puffs of smoke materialized on the grayish floor. In its midst appeared a strange black box; its eerie appearance sent sharp chills and shivers up everyone's spine... Expect Ms. Mowz, who seemed a little cocky at the moment.

Everyone was silent until Waffles, tired of everyone being so serious, marched over and opened the box. He pulled out a rather ugly-looking key.

Goombella looked at Ms. Mowz in awe. "But how... How did you know that?"

"Like I said, I'm very good at these sorts of things. You can't just think about the riddle; you have to _know_ it."

Bobbery asked, "...I beg your pardon?"

"Well, whatever," Waffles brushed off the perplexity. "If she could solve this riddle, then the rest of this place will be a breeze!"

It finally dawned on him... _So, _that's_ what Ms. Mowz was talking about..._

"_**...But you've done your part for now. It's time I offered my assistance."**_

_He thought she meant that by simply explaining what happened with Gloomtail, but now Koops understood... _

"Ms. Mowz," he whispered. "You knew about this place, didn't you?"

"I guess you could say... a little Swoopula told me," she said, winking.

_Now he was bothered. Ms. Mowz actually _knew_ about the strange-looking tower? How? She may've been an expert nomad, but the Palace of Shadow had been inaccessible for the last millennia. Sure, everyone had heard about it, but she acted like she even_ lived_ there at one time. It just didn't add up..._

"Well, Koops? Would you like to ask me about anything else?"

Her playful sarcasm pulled him from his thoughts. "No, that's all right. I was only thinking..."

* * *

The riddles went on and on forever it seemed; another baffling one behind each door and even up the swirling flight of stairs. Eventually, all the 'Palace Keys', as Ms. Mowz called them, were found and carried to the third floor. Speculation and confusion were at their highest from the sight of a large mechanical device and several pedestals sitting around it. Assumption their only asset, the Palace Keys were placed in each one. This caused the enormous instrument to rotate and much rumbling ensued. After the earthquake had passed, all felt still again, if not more calm than at first.

* * *

Going outside to investigate, they found nothing amiss. Everything was intact, the moat appeared calm, and the Red Chomps were even sleeping. Ms. Mowz instantly became fixated on Koops. 

"Perhaps another door opened up somewhere," she said, offhandedly.

"Like down there?" he glanced toward the door leading to Gloomtail's lair.

"It makes sense. There's no other way leading out of his room..."

So, that was it; they were going back the way they came. It made Koops feel he was going in circles. Were they actually on the way to being captured in a trap? Grodus did already pass there; He could've planned for this to happen. What if by passing through that door, a swarm of Dark Bones were unleashed upon them? They'd be all killed, to say the least.

...Was he really ready to die? He had a father at home, waiting for him to come back and make his town proud. And Kroop couldn't wait to have him take over as the new mayor. All of Petalburg was cheering him on, knowing he'd return and make them proud.

_Then his thoughts came to rest on Koopie Koo..._

How would _she_ react if he came back? She didn't seem too angry about him leaving, but she didn't exactly look ready to celebrate either. And what would she say about Vivian? What if she had moved on to another Koopa, or left town completely? His reflecting came to a crashing halt upon hearing:

"So, you've gotten past Riddle Tower, have you? ...Impressive, but I'm afraid your journey ends here."

_That voice... It sounded so familiar, but it couldn't be. _ _How could they've possibly returned after already defeated them? And why? Maybe because Beldam was still after Vivian..._

His assumptions were confirmed; Blocking their way to the next room stood Beldam, Marilyn, and Doopliss. After many times of trying and failing, the old siren just wouldn't give up the hedonism of her little sister's torment. Seeing her now made his blood boil.

"Oh, for Pete's sake! Not you three bumbling buffoons again!" Bobbery scoffed.

"We've already given you the boot before, so just go away before we have to do it again!" threatened Waffles.

Beldam laughed. "What a shame. We came all this way to greet you here and you give us the cold shoulder like we're common criminals?"

"You_ are_ common criminals! Get outta the way!"

"Oh, I don't think we'll be going anywhere. Not until you see our newest member, anyway..."

"Newest... member?" Goombella questioned.

"You should know her from previous times and she's just been dying to see you again!" Doopliss jumped in. "Anyone wanna guess who it is?"

"How should _we_ know who it is?" Koops spoke, demanding for an answer more than asking.

"Trust me, you should recognize her. She was the most incompetent member of your little group and couldn't last two seconds on her own without becoming lunch for the crows..."

Waffles shook a fist. "Stop beating around the bush and just tell us who it is already!"

The wicked witch didn't have to say another word as the unmistakable form of obscurity appeared behind her. There was an odd hush before anyone was able to tell who it was. Even then, it was still such a shock when they realized exactly who they were up against...

"Vivian?"

Koops inched closer, trying to get a good look at her. Of what part of her face he could see, she looked out of it; almost like she was in a trance or something...

"I must point out that Vivian's been under a lot of stress lately, no thanks to you, so she'll be coming back with us now," Beldam said.

Waffles approached. "That's a lie! C'mon back over here! You know they're the enemies!"

"...That's where you're sorely mistaken. My sisters aren't the enemies... And you'll be handing over the Crystal Stars now... before we have to_ beat_ them out of you..." She spoke with such acrimony, making her usually gentle tone reek of distortion.

"We're being serious here! Stop playing around and ditch these losers already!"

Instead of responding, Vivian tightly balled up her fist and unleashed a Shade Fist on Waffles. The force threw him back several feet and into Bobbery, nearly knocking him over.

Goombella frowned, realizing what was wrong. "She must be brainwashed! And back on their side!"

"Exactly. I'm surprised to see you halfwits figured it out so easily," scoffed Beldam. "Now like the girl said, hand over the Crystal Stars before something nasty transpires."

Koops glowered at her. "Not on your life..."

"Very well..."

In a poof of smoke, Doopliss turned into Flurrie and proceeded in using her Gale Force to stun their opponents, as the Shadow Sirens disappeared.

Looking up from the receding windstorm, Koops saw how Doopliss managed to separate everyone across the area. Goombella and Flurrie were past the bridge fighting Beldam. Beyond them, Ms. Mowz had problems of her own as Marilyn attacked her. Past the other bridge's side, Mario, Waffles, and Bobbery were battling the doppelganger.

_But where did Vivian go...? _

Turning around, Koops got his answer. He was now face-to-face with the deluded siren. He responded by locking hands with her, struggling with all his might to gain some ground. She was incredibly powerful; her muscles seemed to get stronger the more he resisted...

"It's futile to resist," she growled. "You will never defeat me in hand-to-hand combat. It'd be easier to give up and hand over the Crystal Stars like you were ordered."

"Vivian, you have to listen to me... You're being control against your will... These guys... They're only using you in order to get what _they_ want... And when they do, you'll be tossed aside like a rotten Mushroom..."

"Impossible. I see through your lies. You're only trying to trick me into letting my guard down. I wouldn't trust your kind for a second..."

"I'd never lie to you, Vivian... I swear it..."

"Maybe when I snap your neck in two you'll be more cooperative..." Her voice was so ugly and twisted, overflowing with the sadistic pleasure of his weakening state.

The feeling had long left Koops' arms. Everything from his shoulder down was numb and throbbing, begging for him to stop his strenuous pushing. It felt like his ulnas were about to break in half; his fingers trembled and buckled between Vivian's sweat-drenched gloves.

His face wrenched in horror. _How can she be so strong...? What happened to make her do this? And most of all..._

Out the corner of his eye, he saw Goombella dodging left and right from Beldam's freezing spells. Flurrie soon came to her aid as she covered the vicinity with a thick Dodgy Fog, making it nearly impossible to see.

Past the stone bridge over the moat, Ms. Mowz scampered around while Marilyn scrambled behind, trying to catch her. Annoyed at coming up empty over and over again, she tapped into her power of electricity and proceeded to fry her quarry. The rodent evaded her attack and added to its inefficiency by givingher a harsh slap across the face.

Not far off from there, Mario picked up Bobbery and tossed him at Doopliss, who, by reflexes alone, caught the Bob-omb in time for him to explode in his hands. After the explosion, he reverted back to his normal state, just in time for Waffles to throw an egg in his face.

_...Why wasn't Vivian using her elemental abilities? Sure, she was formidable enough in a direct fight, but she'd be unstoppable when her powers of flammability came into play. So what was stopping her from thrashing him with a scorching Shade Fist or a blazing Fiery Jinx...?_

Breaking the struggle, Koops pulled into his shell and spun like crazy to ward off the delirious adversary. Emerging, he suddenly realized Vivian was gone, meaning she probably disappeared into the shadows. And he was right; She reappeared and tried pouncing from behind, only to stumble and miss. Koops took this to his advantage and straddled her.

"Listen to me!" he commanded, squeezing her arms.

Her normally curly hair turned unruly as she struggled on the floor. "I swear to the stars, if you don't let go of me...!"

"Look at me, Vivian! _Look at me!_"

The ugly twisting of her demented features slowly melted away as she stared into his eyes.

"Vivian, please remember! Remember when... when..." he struggled for an example. "Back on Keelhaul... You and me... We sat on the beach together..."

As her flailing gradually decreased, she slowly muttered, "...Keelhaul...?"

"Yeah... Remember with the flowers...?"

"Flowers...?"

"Yes, the flowers," he eagerly nodded. "You said they reminded you of your sister... and you were so sad..."

"...Flowers... sister...? I-I can't..." she frowned. "I can't remember..."

"Try harder. You have to remember. I _know_ you do..."

_She was trying to fight it... The resistance could be seen on her face. Vivian was so disoriented, but at least... At least she still had her common sense. All he had to do was break through the spell's artificial intelligence and... _

Suddenly, she jerked her head away. "...No... No! You're only trying to trick me! It won't work!"

"I'm _not_ trying to trick you, Vivian! I just want you to realize you're being used!"

"**_Shut up!" _**Growling crossly, her body faded into the ground and out of his grasp.

Koops was like a sitting duck in the large opening. Vivian could appear from anywhere... Rather than looking, he tried to hear her approaching. It was faint, but the Shadow Sirens always made an unmistakable noise whenever they rose or sank into the darkness... Unfortunately, the way the paved area was structured, every sound uttered bounced off the thick walls and created a long echo that went on for several seconds at a time...

_Hearing anything at that point was impossible..._

Just then, he felt a rough hand his seize neck and throw him into the wall. Vivian drew back her arm, ready to punch him in the face. The Shade Fist attack was cut short, her fist stopped just as it pushed against his nose.

"Please listen to me..." pleaded Koops. "You know what you're doing is wrong. What did I ever do to you? Why are you so angry at me?"

"I..." she trailed off. "...I don't know..."

"I promise I'll help you. I know it's hard, but please... try to calm down..."

Her mouth slowly opened, like she was going to say something, but suddenly snapped shut in an angry clench of her teeth. With the spell regaining control, she pushed him further into the wall._ "**Stop trying to trick me! **_It's... It's all your fault and you know it!"

"What are you talking about? _What's_ my fault?"

She squeezed harder on his windpipe, causing him to gag. "Don't play stupid with me! I can't trust you! You just want to kill me and make a name for yourself... just like..._ just like how they did with Lillian!"_

"That's not true, Vivian..."

"Yes, it is! ...You... _**You killed her, didn't you?!"**_

Hysterics were starting to take over; the evidence showed in her voice as she demanded an answer. He was putty in her hands, on his knees at her mercy of whatever command she desired. It seemed so strange how once, they were actually equals, sitting in the Poshley Heights hotel and talking about their favorite pastimes. Now, Vivian towered over him in a manic dominance that just didn't seem right for her timid character.

"...I've never even see your sister," he muttered, disappointment more evident in his voice than failure. "And I know the real Vivian wouldn't do this..."

The following blow felt like a smoldering ash tray shoved into his snout. Koops was starting to think he'd _rather_ have his neck snapped than his face burned off. The more the fight dragged on, the angrier she became and she wouldn't hesitate to shatter his shell into a thousand pieces... Trying to reason with her wasn't working; the spell was far too strong to stop with mind over matter. If he wanted to snap her out of it, he had to use brute force...

He hated the thought of having to treat such a delicate thing so violently, but his life hung in the balance. Whispering a quick apology for what he was about to do, he kicked his oppressor in the stomach and started to run away. She recovered quickly and attacked from behind, pulling on his shell with the strength of 10 Koopatrols, if not more. He stumbled back and turned to punch her in the jaw.

_He hated it... He hated it so much, but it had to be done... _

She let go and backed away, shaking off the attack, but seething at the same time. That hit to her face was a form of retaliation, something he had yet to do since their battle began. Now she felt threatened.

Koops carefully stepped back towards the bridge. _Maybe if he could get over that..._

Vivian attacked again, this time, holding her fingers out. Koops knew what this meant and wasn't too happy about it. The siren was planning on using her Fiery Jinx, an attack that would probably scald or even blind him if it hit in the right spot. He pulled together in his shell at the last moment, feeling the lethal hex bounce off its covering. With an irritated growl, she faded into obscurity once more.

_There was no time to lose..._ Koops advanced from safety and made a dash for the bridge.

* * *

Doopliss hit the ground hard with a loud groan of defeat, as Waffles dusted off his hands. "Man, that freak-sheet was really starting to work my nerves! Turning into Vivian and setting on you fire was cheating!" 

"...I think we can both come to terms of agreement on that one..." coughed a charred Bobbery.

Marilyn was barely able to keep up with Ms. Mowz as she danced about in a dizzying mirage of hops and skips. Her maneuvers proved too much for the larger sibling, eventually leading to her defeat.

The battle was rapidly turning in Mario's team's favor. Every time Beldam used one of her icy spells, Flurrie blew it back in her face. And because Goombella and Flurrie kept their distance, her other spells had no effect. The plan was a failure; Everyone was losing and nothing could be done about it.

"Give up now!" called Goombella. "Not only are you beat, but you're outnumbered!"

"I would expect someone as foolish as yourself would say that. Why, you have no idea what's ahead, do you?"

"What are you implying?" asked the Cloud Sprit.

"Sorry, but I can't exactly say," Beldam began backing away. "I'll just leave you with this warning... You may've won the battle... but the war is just beginning..."

"Hey! You can't just run away!"

"I'd like to think of it as retreating, not fleeing..."

Before she could make a comeback, the siren of ice had already faded into darkness, leaving no trace behind.

Goombella looked at Flurrie. "Do you think she was bluffing?"

"...I'm not sure I know_ what_ to believe anymore, dear."

* * *

Meanwhile, Koops was nearing the first bridge, seeing Goombella, Flurrie, and Ms. Mowz in the distance. All he had to do was keep running... despite Vivian gradually getting closer by the second. 

Suddenly, he got an idea. Stopping short, he noticed Vivian's aim proved to be worse than first thought, as she stumbled over and fell headfirst to the ground.

He grabbed her lissome body and pulled her into a headlock. Koops now understood; similar to his shell's sometimes unreliable manner, her greatest strength was also her greatest weakness. While sturdy in the upper extremities, Vivian's main structure lacked resistance, making it easy to throw or toss her around.

She thrashed about in his grasp like mad, hissing, growling, and rotating her neck aggressively in hopes of escaping. Suddenly, she snapped forward, whipping her tail past Koops' feet, making him lose his balance. He landed with a hard thump on his shell.

Muttering an expletive, he laid back panting, tired and helpless form the brawl. Vivian hung over him now, looking more annoyed than pleased with his predicament. Her mouth was turned up and she was just sitting there... _staring... _

"...You're going to pay for what you did to my sister..."

"Vivian, you're being used... Don't do this..."

"I make my own decisions..." she raised a hand, embers starting to form in her palm. "and I'm not going to let some snotty little Koopa persuade me otherwise..."

_This can't be it..._ his conscious refused to believe it._ He couldn't go out like this. It just didn't seem possible... Being burned alive by an ancient demon out of some fairy tale. One that he actually considered to be in love with at one point... _

"I don't know what's going on here, but I'm about to put a stop to this!"

"Huh?

"In a flash, Waffles scurried over and jumped on top of Vivian's hat, jamming the rim down her face.

_**"Get off of me!"**_ she growled, thrashing about in a wild attempt to throw him off.

Koops rocked back on his shell, eager to flip it right-side up, but his effort proved useless once again. All he could do was watch Vivian struggle and Waffles hanging on for dear life.

Fed up with his interference, the Shadow Siren held her glowing hands near the intruder in hopes of scorching him instead. Her intentions were literally doused as Ms. Mowz appeared on the scene. In the utter confusion, Vivian tripped over her and fell backwards into the moat with a loud splash. Flurrie floated over to the still-struggling Koops and helped him up.

The rest steadily gathered together and watched in tense anticipation. A couple of minutes passed and bubbles churned on the surface. The bubbling suddenly stopped and Waffles rose from the murky moat, wearing Vivian's soaked hat. Briefly afterwards, the latter emerged, coughing violently.

"Man!" Waffles staggered out the moat, shivering. "That water is_ cold_!"

"...Vivian? Are you okay?" asked Goombella.

She slowly reached up to part her flowing hair; its sopping, cherry hue resembled ribbon streaks in the water. Koops held his breath, fearing the overpowering spell would command her to leap out and attack someone.

"...W-where am I...?" was the confused question.

"You're safe," breathed the Koopa. He then added, "And back with us."

The siren massaged her temples and groaned. "...Oh... What was I doing? My head hurts so bad..."

"Whatever drove you to join your sisters again must've given these migraines. Here, I'll help you up." Flurrie outstretched her hand toward the fallen comrade.

"Oh, yes... Thank you..." she whispered with the same meekness everyone found themselves accustomed to.

As she was being pulled her from the moat, Koops struggled with himself to keep from grabbing the once secluded outcast in a warm embrace. He felt so enervated at her absence and now that she was back, all he wanted to do was take better care of one of the few things he still considered precious.

Careful to keep her face concealed, Vivian grabbed a large clump of her drooping hair and squeezed the water from it. Once dry, her locks sprang back to life, retaining their vibrant color and graceful quality.

"Here. Kept it warm for ya," Waffles laughed, handing her the drenched hat.

"Thanks," she said taking it. She twisted it in her grip to ring it out, somehow doing this while her soaked hair covered almost her entire face. Koops could never understand how she did that...

Vivian decided to sit down, flinching from the floor's cold surface. She neatly coiled herself together and began playing with her hair; she combed it and smoothed it out, making sure every curl was place. Koops figured this was a good time as any to talk to her.

"Vivian?"

She stopped combing, stuck in an awkward position where anyone could've easily seen her eyes. Hurriedly, she threw it in every which way to make sure her face was covered. Unfortunately, she could barely see anything like this.

"I was really worried about you..." he went on, sitting nearby.

"Oh..." she paused, literally caught up in her curls. "No, don't worry about me... They didn't rough me up too much..."

"You're not hurt, are you?"

"No..."

She was lying. Koops knew it by the way she averted his gaze. He then noticed a dark bruise around each of her wrists.

"What's that on your arms? Let me see..."

Instead of pulling away and making excuses, the Shadow Siren agreed, allowing Koops to gently finger the area around her gloves. Upon closer inspection, the bruises on her wrists were just what they looked to be, bruises. Vivian only had a few minor injuries, mostly around her arms and face, but didn't seem to be in any pain... Exactly _how_ she got these bruises was the only thing bugging Koops. Though, her overall wellbeing was good enough for him.

"I think you'll live," he joked.

She smiled and finished patting down her hair. "That's good."

It wasn't long before her smile slowly faded into a frown, accompanied with a sigh.

Seeing this, Koops asked, "What's wrong?"

"...Are you mad at me?"

"Huh?"

"Are you mad at me?" she repeated, starting to cower.

"Of course I'm not mad at you. And neither is anyone else. What made you think of that?"

"I know you all told me to stay there... but I was in a lot of pain... I had to leave..."

"That's alright; it was kind of a stupid idea to make you stay there, anyway..."

She went on as if she didn't hear him. "Then I thought I could bring the princess to you. I thought I'd be doing you a favor..."

His eyes widened in surprise. "You mean... you knew where she was?"

"Well..." she cowered again. "Yes..."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"You couldn't get down there anyway; Grodus shut down the mainframe system so the only way in or out was through his manual command."

"So, how'd you get down there?"

"There must've been a bug in the system because the elevator was still working when I tried it. I found Peach and was going to bring her back to Mario. I really thought it'd work, but Grodus surprised me and took both of us captive..."

"I bet he's probably the one who hypnotized you, huh?"

"Yes... He said something about wanting to use me to his advantage and not bait, since Peach was already the main attraction."

"Well, you don't have to worry about anymore," he assured her. "We got the seventh Crystal Star from that Crump guy and made sure those X-Nauts would never step foot on Earth again."

"That's good and all and I'm glad you got the last star. But Koops..." her voice suddenly turned dark. "I... really need to tell you something important..."

"What?"

"You all have to leave this place..."

"Leave? How come?"

"By entering through the Thousand-Year Door, you don't know what you've done. It's practically a sin to walk around in here..."

"...I don't understand..."

"You don't have to," she placed a hand on his. "Just get out of here before something awful happens..."

Overhearing her, Waffles came over. "Whaddya mean, 'leave'? We still have to save the princess from those X-creeps and stop Grodus from taking over the world!"

Vivian stood, her nigrescent form looming over him. "...You must leave, you have to. This is... such an awful place... I never would've let any of you come if I were still with you..."

"Vivian, _what_ are you talking about?" asked a confused Flurrie.

"This is the Palace of Shadow, a dark and evil void of despair where only shadows are supposed to live. I'm surprised you got this far, and I'm thankful for that, but the trials ahead are long and dangerous and... and there's a chance you might all be killed!"

"Don't you worry about that!" Bobbery added. "The road ahead may be long, but we'll tackle it with gusto!"

"Yeah! We went through a lot of crazy stuff in this place! We had to jump over fireballs, walk past booby trapped floors, go through this crazy staircase room, fight like, a MILLION Dull Bones, and solve that whacked-out...er... tower thing over there!" said Waffles, numbering off each one.

By the time he was done, Vivian looked completely horrified. "You... you went through all that...?"

"What's the big deal, anyway?" pouted the young Yoshi, upset his point wasn't getting across. "It's not like we've never done backbreaking work before while trying to save someone, or find something, or find someone_ for_ someone, or find something to _give _to someone, or--"

"We get it, Waffles," Goombella grumbled, cutting him off.

"You don't understand how close you all were to being killed... and all just to save me..."

"Not only that, but we still have to find Her Highness... But I digress; finding you was a great feat for all of us, if I do say so myself."

Flurrie's opinion was complemented by many signs of agreement from the others. In opposition, the distraught Shadow Siren started shaking her head in a bitter refusal.

She grabbed Koops, clinging tightly to his clothes. "Look, I'm really serious here! All the things you've been through this far... They're nothing like the things ahead!"

"Vivian, you know as well as I do we have to keep going..."

"No, you don't! Please... I don't want anyone to get hurt over me..."

"But we're going after the princess now."

She glanced down for a moment, then faced him again. "I know this place better than any of you and... I can get her for you! I swear I will! Maybe I can get Grodus to..."

"Did you hit your head on something?" spat Waffles. "Look, we're going to keep going whether you want us to or not! Trying to negotiate with Grodus is like trying to eat a Poison Shroom; Nothing good can ever come from it!"

"But... but..." she looked about frantically, anxiety taking over. "...But you'll get hurt..."

"Just relax, take a deep breath, and stop worrying so much..." said Koops.

She obeyed, taking loud, shaky breaths and exhaling deeply. After a few moments breathing, she regained her tranquility.

"Now, look... We're going to find the princess. Nothing bad's going to happen and we'll be extra careful. Since you're here, you can help and tell us if there're any traps around, okay?"

She heaved a disgruntled sigh, shaking her head in shame. With disgust in her voice, she answered, "...You shouldn't be here. But, if you absolutely _promise_ me you'll be careful..."

Deep down, Vivian refused to believe Koops was right, but their fate was no longer under her control. It was seven against one; No matter how many times she would warn them, they'd end up going anyway...

* * *

With Vivian found, everyone continued on in hot pursuit of the princess. No one knew the whereabouts of Beldam, Marilyn, and Doopliss, but it didn't matter. Deafeating all three twice was more than enough of a warning. 

Although Vivian's claims of threatening dangers seemed convincing, she was proven wrong as they got past all the traps, solving all the puzzles, and making the most out of their random encounters with wandering enemies. Seeing what great progress they were making, she no longer felt inclined to mention the palace's "impending doom" and not once did she have to help anyone past a problem.

Another thing the party was able to do was keep their sense of humor, despite their pathway getting progressively darker. They'd go down long hallways kidding around with one another in order to keep their sprits up. Jokingly, Waffles once said to beware of the native Dark Wizzerds because they'd one day rule the world with their evil tickling power of doom. Goombella countered by saying Bobbery would blast them away with a fleet of Bombshell Bill Blasters. Even Vivian found this funny...

* * *

_She thought they weren't ready. She __couldn't stand thought of losing her only friends in the world. __But maybe... they _did _have what it took to rectify things..._

They were on the road to doing away with Grodus forever. Beldam was gone and wouldn't dare mess with them again. Mario still had the Crystal Stars, meaning the dreaded Shadow Queen wouldn't come back to power after all. The whole thing made her feel a little insignificant... But things were going so great, nothing could've possibly made it any better.

She looked ahead at Koops walking in front of her and blushed. Vivian once remembered hearing an old saying about how absence makes the heart grow fonder. She wouldn't be surprised if it was true...

_

* * *

_

Koops felt something roughly nudge his hand. Not at all surprised, he turned to see Vivian, giving him one of her "I want attention" looks.

He smiled knowingly. "What's wrong--?"

Before he could finish, Koops was cut off by a sudden embrace. Vivian squeezed tightly around his body with a short, but sweet hug. Like a warm clump of feathers, her hair settled on his cheek and nose. Her soft hands caressed his shell, starting around the middle and abruptly ending with a playful tug at his jacket's collar. It probably didn't last much longer than a few seconds before she let go.

He looked at her, confused and startled by her actions. She violently jerked her hat down in shame, and refused to look at him. Through her trepidation, the bewildered Koopa racked his brain to figure out her intentions...

The unnerving silence was finally broken by Waffles in the distance. "Hey! Come on, already! You guys are slowing us down! We wanna save the princess sometime this _millennium_!"

Koops snapped back into reality, only to notice her already running off to join the others.

_Vivian sure was hard to figure out. He wasn't sure what the purpose of that hug was, but m__aybe it was her way of thanking him for bringing her back to her senses..._ _Perhaps it was a sign of appreciation in her own little passionate way._

"You're welcome..." he whispered with a smile.

_

* * *

_

Grodus raised his head. The trouncing of his femme fatales and Vivian's releasing from his spell were easily comprehended, despite the fact they were nowhere near his locality.

"I see. So, not even with Vivian could Beldam and her bumbling fools stop this Mario. Either he is a force to be reckoned with or my confidence in her has been fueled by false optimism. No matter..." he placed himself against the throne. "Mario's downfall will come soon enough... and it will be at my hands..."

* * *

_**Authoress' Notes:** Don't you think it's kinda odd how Vivian says "I'm sorry, Sis..." after beating the three assholes? I guess it's just showing off more of her perceived naïveté. _


	13. Revelation: Part I

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ Well, whaddya know? It looks like it's my 17th birthday's today! A few b-day wishes with your reviews_ would_ be nice... :)

* * *

_

**_Better Off Alone _**

**_Chapter 13: _**_Revelation (Part I)_

_

* * *

_

_...So this was it... There was definitely no turning back now... not like that was one of their options to begin with... _

Grodus was in the room up ahead, holding Peach captive... All they had to do was defeat him and save her... But what exactly were they going up against? Was he stronger than Gloomtail? Tougher than Magnus von Grapple 2.0? More annoying than the Shadow Sirens? No one could be certain. He just needed to be stopped at all costs.

...But she was starting to have those feelings again...

Her hair began to stand on end... Her skin crawled with goosebumps... She was starting to experience little cramps around her stomach and chest area...

_Something bad was about to happen. She just knew it. _

...What if Grodus had already awakened the queen and was waiting for them to walk right into his trap? For all she knew, the Shadow Queen was poised to strike all her friends down with the flick of a finger... and their radiant path to victory would abruptly end in a solemn dirge of failure. Vivian wasn't worried for herself, as the queen was her mother and would never lay waste to her favored daughter.

...It was her companions' lives she feared for. All of them were so optimistic about completing such a great task that they failed to ponder over what they could be up against. The queen was much,_ much_ stronger than Grodus, while Beldam's harassments were child's play in comparison; not even Gloomtail could hold a candle to her power.

* * *

They walked through what seemed like the millionth door and into a new room that was unlike any other one they'd seen so far. As big and spacious as it was, most of the room was littered with thick pillars and large mainstays with bronze-trimmed arches etched into them, leaving only the main path void of any obstacles. There was also a quintet of chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, similar to the countless amounts seen in other rooms. The center one was the largest of them all, filled with dying torches and molded wax. 

Several candles on the chandeliers burnt with a peculiar sound upon their entry; it would occasionally get louder and louder, creating the feeling of a raging inferno in that very room. Then it would slowly fade away, and the inferno died back down to a small cluster of candles, barely able to stay lit on their clammy bases.

It one of those crazy illusions that would occasionally happen if one stayed still for too long, their minds filled with nothing but the damp, putrid smell of carcasses rotting nearby under some floorboards. Vivian knew this palace was made as a torture chamber to kill all intruders... and if it couldn't do that, it'd drive them insane so that they'd eventually killthemselves.

They finally arrived at another door, but somehow, everyone knew it led to Grodus...

Koops himself was starting to get restless. What started as a playful trek down the long, dark road suddenly turned into a time of serious matters. Waffles was no longer joking about the 'moldy, old Swoopulas' stinking up the hallway and Goombella's taunting of the 'Luigi-fan' Phantom Embers had come to a standstill. A word hadn't been said since the room before last and it made him feel like something was wrong.

The Shadow Siren was also beginning to feel a little edgy. Koops noted her odd behavior. She seemed unusually terrified... Well, Vivian was always on the edge of being terrified of something, but that was due to her constant insecurity. He felt whatever she feared now wasn't to be taken very lightly...

No one uttered a word as Mario pushed open the door, revealing the next room. A new sight to everyone but Vivian, it was wide and spacious, with most of the forward view blocked off by a large platform and some stairs.

"This room..." Goombella finally said. "It feels so... weird..."

"Really?" mocked Waffles. "Well, that's strange, especially considering how this room looks_ exactly like every other room in the stupid place!"_

"I don't think that's what she meant," Bobbery intruded.

Koops looked up the short staircase they faced. "And I don't think we're getting anywhere by standing around arguing."

One by one, each partner followed Mario up the stairs until they reached the top. At the end of the room, Grodus sat in the throne and stood upon seeing them. ...But what really made him annoyed was seeing his perfect specimen tag along. She nervously followed their every move, staying as far away from the front as possible. As far as he was concerned, not only was the princess his property, but the siren also belonged to him.

"Mario...You are the one who has spoiled my plans, defeated my best lines of defense, and destroyed my home base... I can't say I'm exactly pleased by your interference. "

He took a few steps forward before stabbing his staff into the carpet as a stern warning of his short temper.

"Your foolishness ends here... The Shadow Sirens, Lord Crump, and the X-Nauts... My subjects have all either turned against me or have failed in their duties miserably. I've come to believe if one is to have absolutely anything done, he must do it for himself."

"And that's exactly why we're here to stop you!" shouted Goombella.

"This may be difficult for you to undertsand, but I simply cannot let myself be defeated. Your threats are frail and pathetic, they almost make me feel sorry for when I destroy you... _almost..._"

He waved his staff about, creating four Grodus X's, and enveloped himself in one of his Shield Guards.

"Ha! Like that'll ever work! We'll just bust through it!" Waffles grabbed Bobbery and hurled him at Grodus. "There! Howddya like _that_?"

**"FOOLS!"** he bellowed. The smoke from Bobbery's explosion slowly cleared, revealing Grodus to be unharmed inside the Shield Guard. "Do you think I'm joking when I say I cannot be defeated? I promise to make your downfall as painfall as I possibly can! Now, come! Enough of this senselessness! The time is nigh to decide the Crystal Stars' fate once and for all!"

Mario, who'd apparently had enough of the continuous onslaught of threats, started the attack. Goombella follwed, as did Koops and everybody else. Vivian knew it was useless to go jumping in on Grodus like that. As long as the Grodus X were at his disposal, he really _couldn't _be defeated.

The others thew everything they had at the robed overlord, yet nothing seemed to be working. On top of that, the Grodus X would occasionally lash out and strike them with unbelievable force. And because they were so fast, it was almost impossible to avoid them.

He may've made a fool of her back on the moon, but she had new confidence now... Holding both hands out, the she began to concentrate.

"You, siren!" demanded Grodus. "What're you doing?"

Instead of answering, Vivian let her hands do the talking. Snapping her fingers together, her palms set on fire. In a flash, the Grodus X were dancing about, engulfed in flames. They eventually fell to the ground as scorched corpses. The Shield Guard around Grodus shattered into a thousand pieces; its broken glass-like fragments scattered all over the floor, forcing the commander to shelter his face with an infuriated growl.

"Wow! Great going, Vivian!" complemented Goombella.

"Now, let's see how tough you are without your stupid... uh... whatever those things were!" Waffles picked up Bobbery and tossed him at Grodus again. The Bob-omb exploded on impact, causing him undeniable pain.

Koops attacked next, pulling into his shell and sprinting across the floor with a Shell Slam attack. He hit his target quite hard, almost making him fall over. Goombella threw in her effort by Multibonking and Waffles followed her up by throwing several eggs. Grodus summoned two more Grodus X before Flurrie had a chance to use her Gale Force, allowing the following wind to blow them away.

"Hey, we can just use Flurrie to get those things out of our way!" pointed out Goombella. "This fight's gonna be a piece of cake!"

"Well, that's delightful! I had a feeling it wouldn't work on the big brute anyway," Flurrie sheepishly admitted.

Mario pounced on Grodus several times, barely dodging his barrage of white flames. Koops attacked next, his shell not affected by the lingering fire. Their opponent tried to summon his Grodus X's again, but Flurrie blew them away and Waffles' egg made a direct hit. Vivian decided to get her two cents in and socked Grodus right in the face. The feeling of her fist making contact excited her; _She wanted to attack again! _

...But she had to wait, as it was Mario's turn. He used it well, bashing the boss' computerized head with his Hammer. Vivian quickly caught herself and noticed how oddly aroused she was becoming as the brawl went on.

_...It scared her. It really did.

* * *

_

The battle raged on for several minutes with the same attacks patterns and the same results. Grodus summoned some Grodus X's, Flurrie got rid of them, someone atacked, then Grodus attacked, ususally missing. Vivian was feeling a little better about saving the princess. But then again...

_She couldn't believe Grodus was_ that_ much of a pushover... He had to have something else up his sleeve to be fighting so effortlessly. Either that, or something was wrong with _her_. Or maybe it was because she had help this time. Eight against one did seem kind of unfair, but as easy as he was, Grodus did manage to land a few heavy hits every now and again. It was all evened out, regardless. _

Finally realizing he was fighting a losing battle, Grodus stopped and backed away. He'd sustained much injury, including deep cracks to his glass dome with the inside malfunctioning. "Your skills are more impressive than first thought... But even I anticipated this as happening..."

"Why don't you stop trying to sound so important and admit deafeat already?" voiced Koops.

"One does not experience defeat until he is out of options... and if that's the case, I have only begun to fight!"

He outstrecthed his arm, rod in hand and emitted a strange aura. He sharply turned around and maneuvered the rod in a circular rotation. Despite the confusion over his actions, the adversary's intentions were cleared as a Shield Guard suddenly appeared near the edge of the room. Peering through the green translucence, sat the very thing everyone was vying for: Princess Peach.

Dazed, she stood and looked around. "...Where... where am I? What is this place?"

"Look! It's Her Highness!" enlightened Bobbery.

Peach whipped around. "Oh! Mario! Is that... Is that you?"

Grodus stood between the princess and her saviors, his rod pointed at the captive. "Move one step and she breathes no more!"

"You..." Goombella narrowed her brow. "You wouldn't!"

"...Dare you take a chance? Try _anything_ and see if I'm bluffing!"

They were at a predicament... They couldn't attack Grodus in fear of hurting Peach... _Maybe he _was_ bluffing..._ If anything happened to the princess, whatever he was planning would be useless. But they couldn't take that risk; no harm could ever befall Peach, even if it meant harm for them.

...So they remained motionless, glaring intensely at him with gritted teeth and hatred in their minds.

Grodus backed away, laughing. "I see you understand how serious I am. Acting irrationally at this point would be a fatal error on your part."

He continued cackling and backing away until he abruptly stopped, making an irritated grunt as he turned around and huddled over. This left the group confused.

Goombella squinted. "What's that freak doing?"

"Think he's about to destroy us all with some kind of nuclear bomb, or something?" whispered Waffles.

The Goomba glared at him.

"...Well, he _could_!"

Their suspicions were answered as Grodus threw his robe around, revealing him to be struggling with Vivian, holding his staff in clenched hands.

"You little monster! Let go this very instant!"

"I'm not letting you get away with this, Grodus! I'm tired of both you and Beldam trying to ruin other people's lives so you can get what you want!" She spat out the last part with a violent yank, displaying her strength.

A hint of fear crossed Koops' mind for the first time in a while. _Why did she always have to put herself in these situations? It was like Vivian was trying to make up for all the things she didn't do wrong, and in doing so, made them worse for herself. They had to do something..._

Peach watched helplessly from her prison, fearing for Mario and the others, but also feeling empathy for Vivian.

_Poor thing... She was trying so hard to prove her worth in defeating this weirdo... But at least she was persistent. As far as the princess was concerned, that's all that really mattered. _

They pulled and tugged, back and forth with one another. Grodus continuously waved the rod from side to side in hopes of either hitting Vivian with the orb or using the sharp side to impale her.

"This is madness!" said Bobbery. "So, what exactly are we supposed to do now?"

"Get Peach!" shouted Vivian. "Go while I've got him distracted!"

**"NO!"** With a forceful thrust, Grodus finally threw her off. "I now see why your sisters are so ashamed of you! Why can't you just be the way you're supposed to be? And you say _I'm _the nuisance! Not only are you a pest, but your endeavors are something to scoff at! Everything that is and related to you is failure and it's not hard to see why!"

"Hey, chrome dome! Lay off it! We're the ones you have a bone to pick with, not her!" called Waffles.

"I do agree! And what could you possibly want with dear, little Vivian, anyway?" asked Flurrie.

"What I want with her is really none of your concern, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to vaunt a little." He aimed his staff at the Shadow Siren. "I will see to it that this twit's body and mind are manipulated to my modifications. My next spell will keep her under my control for _all_ time! I suggest you don't move, or she faces certain and utter pain!"

"Don't listen to him! Go get Peach!"

"But..." Goombella shook her head. "But we can't do that... There's no telling what he'll do to you!"

"Better keep that mouth of yours shut before it gets you into even more trouble, siren!"

...That was the last straw. She couldn't _stand _the way he called her that, like it was more of a curse than a name...

_She loathed the way he spat it at her, expecting her to take it like the pathetic little animal she was. Like a whimpering dog at its master's feet... _

_She was a Shadow Siren; part of a strong, noble species, known for their suave stealth and dominance. Bowing down to his power was the only shameful thing she could've been accused for. _

Vivian was just about to let loose an intense fury on her oppressor when the ground started shaking, throwing everyone off balance.

"What? ...What is this absurdity?" growled Grodus.

As if to answer his question, the ceiling in the chamber's middle and fell open, taking out the chandelier and smashing it into the floor. Amid the debris sat a familiar figure, covered in the wreckage of his own snooping around.

"What the...?" Waffles peered into the mess of broken gravel and dust.

"My Chunkiness! Are you alright? That was a nasty fall for you," called a familiar voice from another level.

"...Bleh... I'm fine. Nothing a Mushroom couldn't cure..."

The large form standing, he brushed through his fiery hair, shook off debris from his spikey shell, and his large snout snorted dust from his nostrils. It was obvious to see who this newcomer was...

"What?" Waffles couldn't believe his eyes. "Isn't that... _Bowser_?"

"Oh, of all the people!" scoffed Flurrie.

"What's _he _doing here?" Goombella demanded.

"What the-- Mario?!" the Koopa King blinked several times in disbelief. "Don't you have better things to do than to keep following me around?"

Kammy hovered in on her broom. "Lord Bowser! Over there, it's the princess!"

"Really?" He eagerly turned to see she was right. "Wow! Talk about a lucky break!"

"But... what's going on here...?" She surveyed the battle-scarred scene. "I think we just missed something fierce..."

"Well, I don't know what the heck happened, but I'm about to take my prize back to where she belongs: MY CASTLE!" He guffawed loudly at his dastardly plan. "Don't anyone even try to stop me this time!"

"Ingrate!" barked Grodus. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Bowser raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly are you supposed to be? A snow globe?"

"Your stupidity appalls me. I don't know who you are, but taking the princess is simply not an option..."

"...Wait a minute..." Kammy adjusted her glasses. "King Bowser, don't you see? If Peach is here with that lunatic, then that must mean... it was _him_! He's the one who dared to interfere with your ruling of the Mushroom Kingdom by taking Peach!" She thrust her scepter at the captor for further emphasis.

"What?"

"_You're_the jerk who stole Peach and messed up my whole schedule! Not only that, but you took her into uncharted territories without so much as a threat or an evil note! I mean, really! I've seen some low-down, dirty tricks, but _that _was just repulsive!"

"Your irksome tactics are not only idiotic, but rehashed and insipid! You are a faulty king and deserve to be beheaded! The girl belongs to me now and she will soon become the catalyst for my new empire!"

"This guy's lost it!" Bowser concluded. "Oh, well. Time to grab Peach and get out of here before something even weirder happens!"

"No! You shan't ruin my plan, you substantial boor!"

Bowser raised an eyebrow. "...'Substantial boor?' Hey, Einstein! Ever think of using _actual words _in a sentence? Geez, I can't even understand what you're saying! Not that it matters, anyway..."

Grodus summoned more of Grodus X and ordered them to attack the Koopa King. He swatted them away like flies.

"Hey, just who do you think you are, buster?" asked Kammy.

"The future leader of world!" he proclaimed, standing. "If you give up now, perhaps I will spare you as a jester of some sort."

"Fat chance!_ You're_ the one who's supposed to be bowing down to _me_!"

"I'd rather perish than allow myslef to manipulated by the likes of you!"

"My pleasure!"

Inhaling deeply, Bowser blew forth a barrage of flames. Although weakened, Grodus was able to protect himself with another Shield Guard.

Kammy was apalled at his behavior. "How dare you defy Lord Bowser's commands? You must be either very brave or very foolish attempt such a feat!"

"Yeah! Even_ I'd_ listen to me if I were you!" added the Koopa King.

As the argument went on, Goombella was at a lost for words. "Well... What do we do now?"

Waffles tugged on Mario's leg. "Gonzales, we need to take out Bowser as soon as possible! He's, like, the main bad guy! Your old nemesis! We have to fight him!"

"No way, Waffles! Let's just free Peach and get out..."

Goombella didn't have time to finish as Waffles shouted, "Hey, Mr. Big, Fat, and Ugly! Over here!"

**"WHAT?"** Bowser turned around, fuming. "What'd you just call me, you little shrimp?"

"I don't think provoking him was the brightest idea..." Bobbery uttered.

Realizing his mistake, the baby Yoshi nervously laughed. "Uh... Heh heh... oops?"

Bowser pushed Grodus to the ground. "I'll deal with you later!"

"Mario, watch out!" Peach warned.

"Mario, you scum! Your meddling ends here! Prepare to be thwarted!" Just as Kammy was about to unleash an attack, Vivian appeared from behind and yanked the broom from underneath her, causing her to fall hard.

"W-what?" She groggily stood. "Hey! How did that happen?"

The distraction was long enough for Mario to jump on Bowser's head. Enraged, the Koopa King whipped around to snap at him with powerful jaws, but fell short and only snagged air. Bobbery took this opportunity to explode near his feet.

Grodus decided the ongoing fight was wasting his time and ran to Peach. Aiming his rod at her Shield Guard, she levitated out of the sphere and floated over to him. "I don't have time for this nonsense! These cretins will ruin the whole plan!"

**_"Mario! Over here! HELP!"_** Peach squealed with all her might to get his attention. Unfortunately, her voice couldn't be heard over the chaotic scramble.

Knocking over the throne, the fleeing leader revealed a large doorway that led to nothing but darkness. But before he could enter it, Vivian appeared, blocking his escape.

"...Like I said, I'm not letting you get away with this..." she growled, her hat's rim hanging low.

Grodus clutched his staff angrily. "Get out of my way! I swear, I've had it up to _here_ with your intrusive behavior!"

"And I've had just about enough of you and your stupid plans! I'll make sure you regret all the things you've done to me!"

Grodus was already tired from earlier and fighting while handling Peach would prove difficult. He managed to avoid Vivian's first atack and ran for the murky passageway. Unfortunately, he didn't expect her to turn around and attack from behind, knocking Peach out of his grasp.

After that, she began pummeling Grodus. Hit after hit, she continued her assault, not once holding back. She punched him, rammed into him, and even bit an arm once or twice. Her mind was clouded with blind rage. She didn't care about Mario, the princess, or even Koops at the moment...

_It was like a broken record skipping in her head, pushing her to attack more and more. She was doing things she never knew she could before. All the frustration, the pain, the anger... She was never able to let out all her emotions through crying, but beating the crap out of Grodus sure made her feel better. _

Finally done, Vivian stood victorious. She was out of breath, sweating, and throbbing all over, but she was done. Reality hit hard and she suddenly realized how violent she just was. She gazed down upon her trembling hands in shock and fear. Mario and the others were still fighting Bowser, with Kammy already out of commision. But her battle had been fought and won...

Grodus felt he was on his last leg. He couldn't take another hit. _All had to do was get Peach down that staircase..._

He glared at Vivian, seething at her defiance of his orders. How dare she attack him like that? ...But he shouldn't have underestimated her prowess. It was the very thing that made Shadow Sirens so priceless. He knew she had the ability from her wild display back on the moon... but having actually succumbed to the siren's power secured her invaluable worth...

She now had her back turned to him, possibly tending to Peach. He slowily stood... tired, but determined... staff in hand, he inched closer. He refused to let himself to beaten down by the likes of her...

* * *

"...What just happened?" 

Peach sat in an awkward position on the floor, recovering from being tossed aside in the tussle. After Grodus dropped her, everything went by like a flash... But she was well aware of the beatdown Vivian gave him. Maybe this timid, little creature with the cute hair and adorable eyes wasn't so innocent after all...

The princess tried to look past that and soon realized how, instead of fearing Vivian's strength, she actually respected it. She admired the vicious brutality under her gentle exterior... How she was able to stand up for herself and not go down without a fight. Peach knew she was pretty bold for a princess, but brute force was never her thing.

Seeing the Shadow Siren come near, she smiled uneasily. "Wow, that was... really a show of strength back there..."

Vivian bit her lip, now ashamed of her actions. "I'm... I'm really sorry you had to see that... He was really asking for it... I had to..."

"Don't worry. What you did was totally understandable. You can't take everything in life lying down and _that _showed him not to tread on you ever again."

Vivian smiled at that. She sounded so positive and sincere, like she really meant it. Maybe there were good people in this world after all. The ones who wanted to reach out and touch others just... because. Not for money, fame, or personal gain... Only to help another in need.

...Her thoughts were pratically smacked out of her head as the diamond-hard orb of Grodus' staff smashed into her cranium. She fell to the ground writhing in pain, not knowing what was going where...

_Her mind... badly injured... _

_Couldn't think straight... _

_Grodus had gotten away... _

_It's all her fault... _

_Was that Peach screaming? Did the others even know of this? Were they coming to her aid? She couldn't tell... Her perception was damged and unreliable at the moment. __She could only wonder... What was going on? How she've let down her guard so easily? _Why wasn't she paying attention...? She could've heard Grodus sneaking up from behind and counterattacked. 

She sat there in a subconscious trance, watching him run through the dark corridor and disappear.

_...It was the last thing she saw before blacking out...

* * *

_

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ I decided to change the plot a little, seeing as I'd love for Bowser and Grodus to go at it like Koopas and X-Nauts should. I tried my best to keep the big lug (and the haggy whore) in character, based off all the silly threats and stuff he usually says... Did I do a good job? XD _


	14. Revelation: Part II

_**Authoress' Notes:** Meant to start working on this earlier, but there's been a slight technical problem. Please excuse last chapter and maybe this one if I don't get it right. Someone in the reviews pointed out that I have a spelling problem. Well, that's because my documents are screwing up and I can't seem to get the spell check to work, while the online ones spell check **everything**. One of them even told me "Vivian" was spelled wrong. WTF? Oh, well. I'll try to do better and get this problem fixed ASAP. 99 percent of you probably don't care/didn't know about this anyway. :P _

_**EDIT:** Mario the Great Wobbuffet and I went back to make any corrections after finally finding a suitable spell check website. In other words, it's better now, all you perfectionist fans!_

_

* * *

_

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 14:** Revelation (Part II)_

* * *

_Explosions, fires, madness, and wreckage was all she saw... _

_The silhouettes of the dead and dying were scattered across the barren battlefield... The countless cries of innocent victims echoed across the wasteland. They called for their loved ones... They screamed for assistance with dying breaths... They bawled from the fact they were slowly going insane from isolation... Amid the suffering and the hopelesssness at hand, four figures stood bravely near the outskirts of the devastation._

_**"...This devastation... it's insane... It needs to be stopped."**_

_**"...Her presence is very strong, so we must be getting close to the Palace of Shadow. We'll get to the bottom of this... Don't you worry about it. "**_

_**"He's right, though. We must do what we can to stop this slaughter... Even if it costs our own lives."**_

_**"Well... I'm willing to... if you guys are... you know... up for it..."**_

_Those voices..._

_They sounded so familiar..._

_Two females...? __Two males...? Their vague silhouettes against a raging inferno didn't help much, either..._

_She couldn't put her finger on it..._

_Who_ were_ these people?_

**_"We got in this mess together and we're gonna come out even better than before! Right?"_**

**_"Of course... _I _wouldn't have it any other way!"_**

**_"Yes, I do agree in that sense."_**

**_"...I guess so..."_**

_...So long ago... She'd heard these voices so long ago... But why was she hearing them here and now? Who did they belong to? ...And who were they talking about?_

_It was like a lost memory floating around in her head. The answers were so close, yet so far away... These four different voices, expressions, attitudes, and minds... Bonding together as one ultimate force to snatch victory from the gaping jaws of darkness._

_

* * *

_Vivian slowly opened her eyes to regain the familiar senses of her surroundings. Once her vision became clear, it deciphered Mario, Waffles, Goombella, and Koops' faces hovering over her in circle. 

"...Is she okay? She looks hurt..." Koops waved a hand back and forth to check for any reflexes. Through her hat and bangs, the Shadow Siren followed it with sluggish eyes.

"I think she's coming to..." said Goombella.

Waffles snorted. "How can you tell? That's hat's almost covering her entire face! I bet you ten to one she's sleeping!"

Goombella was about to retort when Vivian rose with a soft grunt and rubbed her sore spot. Despite the devastating blow to her temples, she didn't find herself suffering too much. It was more like a quick flash of lightheadedness, rather than a thick, diamond-studded orb slammed into her head.

"See?" boasted the Goomba.

"...I bet your loud mouth woke her..."

"What--"

Not wanting to see an argument, Vivian quickly asked, "Where's Peach?"

"Why, that scoundrel Grodus just took her away!" replied the admiral. "It's a good thing you came to so quickly. We just got done with Bowser and we must make haste on the princess' rescue!"

"Okay...Well... I'm fine now. He didn't hit me as hard as I thought..."

She tried not to sound so submissive about the injury, as it usually led to the asking of, "Are you okay?" and "Do you need any help?" or anything of that sort. It must've worked, since everyone made their way down the hidden staircase the second she steadied herself. Then again, it could've been because she was actually telling the truth for once...

Vivian couldn't think of a logical reason as to why her injuries weren't severe enough to cause fatality. That blow could've easily killed her, or at least sent her into a coma. The only reasonable explanation she could conjure up was that Grodus may've unintentionally snagged the staff's handle on her hat's rim, which resulted in less force applied to her head when struck. The banded hat itself was meant to serve as a form of protection, but this brought a whole new meaning its significance. Nevertheless, she was fine and reluctantly followed the fleeting line of companions down the aphotic stairway. But the further they continued... the more she kept recalling that same memory... and the clearer it became...

* * *

_The scenery had changed... Instead of their shadows flickering amid an inferno, their images were passing the very pillars of the evil dungeon... _

_**"Heh, I bet bringing her down will be a piece of cake. You know how people can exaggerate things,"** said a male voice._

_**"And how would you know that? Tundra and Lightning were no walk in the park..."** commented a sassy female._

_**"I'm glad we took care of them. They were total bitches,"** muttered another feminine voice._

_**"...Don't you think...um...you know, Flora and Ember would be threats, too?"** whispered a second, obviously younger male._

_**"Don't be silly; Ember's just a baby and you know Flora's dead."**_

_**"Yeah, I heard Tundra did her in."**_

_**"Hogwash--** **I bet someone just made that up for attention."**_

_**"Eh, I dunno. Tundra's not the type of person to care about family matters..."**_

* * *

...Her thoughts shattered like glass at the sound of Peach's earsplitting scream and the large thump of doors being shoved open. Snapping back to reality, she realized they'd reached the deepest chamber in the entire palace, where Grodus was also making a last stand with the princess. The room was relatively small, encircled with about 600 burning candles, or so. The odd coincidence of the number seemed alarmingly prophetical... 

Grodus lowered his staff to Peach's level, preventing her from escaping. "You're too late Mario!" He directed attention to the large chest behind him. "Here in this coffin lies the legendary treasure I've been searching for... the very one that's been festering here for over a millennia just waiting for me to find and claim it!"

"Treasure?" Goombella blinked in disbelief. "You mean..._ that's_ the legendary treasure all those ancient legends were talking about?"

"I guess all those legends weren't so wacked out after all, huh?" voiced Koops.

"Wow... that's... that's actually it!" the young student could barely contain herself. "This is... amazing! I mean, I really kinda didn't think we'd find anything worthwhile, but there it is, right there! Just think of the secrets that thing could unravel when Prof..."

"I think you should be more worried about _what's_ in the thing rather than what you can do with it," advised Bobbery.

Peach slowly lifted her head, her face was fraught with worry. "Oh... Mario... I... I'm so sorry... It was all my fault... sending you that map... caused all this... It was... an accident... I didn't mean for this... to happen..."

"That's the least of your worries, Peach! If there's anyone to blame here, it's Grodus!" Waffles pointed at the fiend.

"Your words are nothing but drivel to me now! Nobody can possibly stop me from resurrecting one of the greatest powers in the known universe! Mario, watch as the tables turn... and finally _you_ will know how it feels to be on the lowly side of defeat!"

Flurrie fixed her hair in a confident manner. "Why don't you spare us your trifling prattle and hand over Her Highness and the treasure before we're forced to trounce you once more!"

"Let's see how you'll feel about challenging me once I awaken the great power sleeping within... and invoke its wrath upon every last one of you... I shall call upon the demon's spirit, it will possess Princess Peach's body, and ravage the world under my control!"

_**"Possess Peach?"**_

"You're mad!"

"So, that's what you wanted with Peach! To fulfill your own sick and twisted plans!" the young Goomba sneered. "That's just plain disgusting!"

"No, you can't do that!"

Everyone looked at Vivian, startled by her outburst. Even Koops did a double take.

"An inferior like you will only be more vulnerable to my power if you should resist!" Grodus declared, refusing to face her.

"If you plan on going through with this, you'll get us all killed, including yourself!"

"You bluffing does nothing to provoke me, young siren, for I know your game well..."

...There was collective round of shock, dismay, and confusion amongst the Possess Peach? Surely, he was bluffing or stalling for time...

Grodus responded with a haughty cackle. " The time has come at last... With this demon, I shall rule the land with all my power and glory! The fate of this pathetic planet will be in my grasp! ...And now you shall pay homage to the great ruler with your life! Arise, my Shadow Queen! ARISE!"

He held the staff close, the orb flashing as he performed to accomplish what he set out to do. The candles located throughout the chamber began to dim and subsequently burn out... only to rekindle with the cold, life-deprived flames of purple and black...

* * *

_She could hear it... feel it... smell it... and practically **taste **it..._ The dark aura slowly began filling the inclosed room, squeezing the warm breath from each of its victims and replacing it with a cold, intoxicating air that made them nauseated. It started seeping up the walls as if it were some sort of unstoppable virus. The coffin's dense lid pushed itself off the concrete casket, hitting the floor with the sickening thud of stone against stone. Vivian felt her stomach twist and turn at the scene unfolding before her. 

_This couldn't be happening... It was impossible..._ She never thought they'd get this far... and it never once crossed her mind the ancient demon would be set free to roam the world once again. She always assumed it was merely big talk, rubbish, and nonsense... How could such a disgraceful plan come together the way Grodus wanted it to? They were the protagonists, the ones expected to stop this from happening... and yet, it was occurring as they stood in awe... horror... despair... frustration... and disappointment...

_So many crushed dreams... So many broken promises... So much hatred...Vivian felt she couldn't take much more..._

Her dark secret would be out; the one she wanted to keep locked away in the deep recesses of her mind forever. The one that'd probably destroy any and every passionate connection to her only friends... The memory resurfaced again...

_

* * *

_

_Against an even darker background than before, one figure clenched his fist. **"There has to be something we can do! I refuse to believe she is THIS strong!"**_

_Another appeared next to him. **"Now... let's not get too hasty..."**_

_**"Hasty's our middle name,"** muttered a third. **"Besides, we have to act now, or all is lost... For us and the world..."**_

_The fourth figure faced the third and threw her arms up in frustration. **"Can't you come up with some kind of crazy, complicated plan, or something? You always seem to do that when we're in a tight spot!"** _

_**"Algebraic calculations don't just pop out of thin air! They take time and effort and that's something we don't have right now!"**_

* * *

Grodus stood near the coffin's edge, laughing triumphantly at his plan's success. The surge of dark energy in the room was so strong, so forceful, his maniacal cackling could hardly be heard. 

"What's that freak doing? He'll get us all killed!" growled Waffles, straining against the evil force's power.

"I'm pretty sure that's what he's _trying _to do!" shouted a frustrated Goombella, also trying to stand her ground.

...It seemed so awkward and out of place... Vivian didn't seem affected by the cyclone of darkness taking place before her, as she was one with it, being of and from the shadows. She stood there like a statue, her vision blurred with tears beginning to build up and dot her eyelashes as she blinked to hold them back. Was is really fair? Should she be happy? She'd been locked away for centuries and it seemed like she was the only one who ever really took care of her... But was an affection of love... or an affection of power? She couldn't remember... It was all too long ago...

_...It was at that moment she remember the battle between her and the Four Heroes... _

_The final battle... The fighting... the suffering... the carnage... That's what her senses had been trying to tell her all this time. ...Why didn't she piece it all together earlier? She saw every blow... every splash of blood... every incantation... Everything..._

Out from the swirling vortex of darkness and opacity, rose the dreaded terror Grodus was talking about and the revealed ancient "treasure" Goombella had been so interested in. Slowly, but surely, her wicked, phantasmic form gradually ascended from her prison of condemnation. Free of her earthly imprisonment, she towered over Grodus and the princess, her ghostly fingers wavering in anticipation to start corrupting life as they knew it. Blood made from a thousand different kinds of poisons and toxins continuously pumped throungh her body, clearly visible through her transparent layers. Her old, matted hair was colored a sickly lavender as it reeked of venom, infection, and disease for all to loathe. It lay menacing behind her in all its wiry glory... like limber vipers ready to strike. Atop her filthy tresses, sat a golden crown adorned with several jewels of sapphire, ruby, and amethyst. Despite their rarity, they boasted grime and muck from many years of deterioration. Unlike a crown of a good-hearted ruler, hers was impure and tainted with the foul depths of her malicious nature. It was like watching the beginning of the end of the world unfold in all its horror...

_"Who has called me back?" _came her ugly, hollow whisper of voice that reeked of perversity and sin. It sent shivers up and down everyone's spine with the cold sensation of animosity it left drifting around in the atmosphere. ...Expect Vivian, of course; for it was this vile disposition that fueled her entire race...

"It is I, my Shadow Queen!" Grodus answered proudly. "I am the one responsible for your freedom!"

The monstrous demon surveyed the scenery. It was normal for the others to be in shock and fear.

"What...? What..." Goombella was at a lost for words. "What... _is _that... that _**thing?"**_

Flurrie was aghast. "My goodness! It's absolutely horrendous!"

"What is this poppycock?" questioned Bobbery.

"It's like some kind of ancient, evil demon, come back from the dead to do away with us all and take over the world!"

"Uh, Waffles... That's exactly what it is..." Koops indicated.

"Really?" After a brief moment of thought, he resumed his panicking. **_"...Oh, snap!"_**

Vivian suddenly began to feel ashamed. ...Was this what they really thought of her kind? Sure, they didn't say it in public, but they sure were expressing their true colors now. But they were right... She glanced down at blood-stained gloves and noticed how odd she looked without any legs or feet... _She hated the way she looked..._

_"...Yes... I see you have done well... Where is the vessel?"_

"She is here! The girl that lies before you is more than ready to become a sacrifice, for she is the who acquired the map leading to the Crystal Stars!"

_"Very well... I shall accept your offer..."_

She lowered her gigantic, hands of darkness and toxins to grace Peach's body with their evil vibes. A dark aura overtook both her and the princess as the impossible became believable... The musty air of her essence hung around like unwanted smog as the transformation took place. Although the process didn't take long, the act of watching seemed to reside in everyone's minds for much longer...

Eventually, the purple clouds faded away, revealing the newly bedevilled Peach. Her face lacked its usual warm, blush, replaced with a cold, pasty look. The pink dress in which she wouldn't be seen without now donned the colors of black and gray, with her hair trimmed in a sinister style. Her soft blue earring had turned a blood red, while the crown was that of her controller.

"Yes... This will do nicely... I am not quite accustomed to this new body yet, but I assume feelings of cognition will come in time..."

"Now, my Queen," he pointed at Mario with his staff. "Attack these ingrates! Send them to their graves!"

Coming closer to observe the evil leader, she sneered. _"...Who are you that would command me? Exactly... what kind of being are you?"_

"W-what?" Grodus seemed taken aback by her response. "What do you mean? You're supposed to obey every word of the one who releases you! That would be me, _your _superior! Now cease this foolishness and..."

In a flash of lightning almost too dark to see, Grodus was gone. All that remained was his barely-functioning, computerized globe, smoldering and smoking where he once stood.

_"It seems _you_ are the foolish one,"_ she replied, a disturbing hint of tranquility in her voice._ "Either that or you were misinformed... No one commands me."_

Mouth agape, Goombella was in utter shock. "Did you... did you see what she just... just...?"

"Uh... G-gonzales... I'm_ really_ starting to get freaked out here..."

Koops raised an eyebrow, more concerned than distraught. "Well, what are we supposed to do? We can't fight her now... It'll be like fighting Peach... won't it?"

"Doesn't look like we have too many other options..." answered Bobbery, somewhat still in shock.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Ms. Mowz appeared. "I won't say who, but I'm pretty sure most of you have no idea what you're up against..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Flurrie.

"What your eyes see aren't always what your bodies feel."

The Yoshi pouted. "Can you translate that into English?"

"I'm sorry, but I just can't explain it any clearer than that. It's basic, really..."

_"My queen!"_ called a distant, yet familiar voice from the shadows.

Vivian was ready to snap... _All this and Beldam, too? When would it end? Why wouldn't it stop? Did fate just hate her enough to make things keep getting worse?_

As anticipated, Beldam and Marilyn appeared from the shadows, with Doopliss trailing behind through the entrance. Strangely, they didn't even look remotely bruised from their last encounter with Mario.

"Oh, _come on_!" Waffles slapped his forehead. "Don't you guys know when to quit?"

_"Ah, yes... Beldam... it's been ages, hasn't it? I assume it is you who is responsible for bringing me back, yesss?"_

"Yes, it took a long time, but we were finally able to find a suitable soul of purity who could open that accursed box for us. I devised the plan of bringing you back to this world so you could rightfully claim it as yours once again... and it worked to perfection, as you can see. We spread rumors of a legendary treasure across the Mushroom Kingdom and the plan was finally taken to its highest level... with the help of those X-Naut fools and their simple-minded leader."

The queen nodded with her approval._ "Yes, yes. Excellent... Your efforts will be greatly rewarded..."_ Peering forward, she then asked, _"And who are these... beings that stand before me?"_

"They're the enemy!" Beldam pointed at the group with a tattling finger. "All throughout our efforts to bring you back to this world, they've always gotten in the way and have tried to stop us!"

_"I don't see the conflict at all. Are you trying to tell me you were bested by these peasants?"_

She moved eerily across the floor as if she were standing on a conveyor belt. Not one appendage moved with her body's motion, giving her the appearance of some kind of unholy, dead creature from the bowels of a darkness that didn't seem to exist. Needless to say, her pale, shady complexion was nothing short of frightening. Steadily, the queen inched closer and closer, scoping out the features of her so-called "enemies". Finished with her observation, she couldn't help but leer.

Seeing her displeasure, Beldam quickly added, "They're much more than you may think. I wouldn't underestimate them if I were you..."

_"They don't appear to possess much power, therefore... resistance will be minimal. Perhaps..."_ she stepped closer, as if inviting them to join her alliance. _"If you're willing to obey me and become my servants... I will not harm you. Refusal should not be an option..."_

Goombella tugged on the plumber's pant leg, desperate for attention. "Mario, we can't join her! You're... you're not gonna say yes... are you?"

Flurrie was also starting to look worried, along with the others. "Mario, darling, we've got to refuse this... right?"

Mario didn't seem at all worried about the consequences of not agreeing to the Shadow Queen's terms. He bluntly shook his head "no", tightly gripping his Hammer.

_"Hmm... So, you _do_ refuse. How... interesting... Must be either very brave or very foolish in order to make such a fatal decision."_

She backed away, a smug look upon her pale face. Eyeing each one of Mario and his crew with interest and determined aspirations, she spotted a familiar figure; one she hadn't seen for over a thousand years...

_"Vivian?"_

The youngest siren quickly perked up at the sound of her name, then shrank down in shame. The rest were stupefied.

Goombella whipped around. "What the...?"

"Vivian... how did she know your name?" Koops seemed almost afraid to ask.

_"Why, Vivian,"_ the queen spoke to her in more of a nostalgic tone than one of malicious intent. _"It's been so long... What are you doing over there? Why are you with these strangers and not your sisters?"_

All eyes on her, she backed away until she found herself stopped by the wall's icy surface.

"...No..." she started shaking her head. "...please, no..."

_"What are you talking about?"_ she looked at Beldam, then back at Vivian. _"What's going on here? Why are you with these commoners? I demand answers!"_

"They've tricked her into thinking they're the ones she should she should side with," calmly lied the elder. "By promising Vivian to return things to the way they once were, they've taken advantage of her innocence and have persuaded her join their side. Trust me, she doesn't have a clue what she's doing."

Vivian gave her oldest sister an ugly glare, just wanting to beat the crap out of her for interfering.

_"My daughter, do you not see they're simply using you? Come here and join your sisters so I can deal with these perpetrators."_

_...daughter?_

_Did they hear her correctly? Did she just call Vivian her...** daughter?**_

_It was as clear as a bell, yet difficult to understand..._

Everyone but Ms. Mowz looked at Vivian in shock, in surprise, in an unbelievable realization...

_Why didn't they see it earlier? The resemblance... It was almost uncanny..._

She was always the odd one, but no one ever thought her past contained such a disturbing secret. Not only did they now know she wasn't as young and innocent as assumed, but now they knew she wasn't all that delicate, either. If there was anything Vivian wanted to forget about the past, it was that horrible title of hers. Being a Shadow Siren was disgraceful enough, but being the child of a demon responsible for nearly destroying the world a thousand years ago was nothing short of awkward...

To Koops, it felt like a slap in the face... Little, misunderstood Vivian? The ancient demon's _daughter?_ He didn't want to believe it... He really wished and hoped it wasn't true, but... from what he was able to judge from the Shadow Queen's once apocalyptic form, there was no denying it; Vivian looked almost like her...

She avoided looking at her companions. "Please... Please, Mother... You have to stop this..."

The dark ruler continued advancing to her distraught offspring. _"Vivian... Come here... and away from those lowlives. You don't belong with them."_

Dying to know her answer, everybody turned to face her again. At this point, Vivian was starting to yield, leaving the wall and advancing. She began walking forward, then suddenly stopped.

"...No, Mother..." she squeezed her arm so hard, it was starting to cut off circulation. "I-I can't do this..."

_"What?"_

"I can't... I left Marilyn and Beldam for a good reason. I... I can't do this anymore..."

_"What exactly are you saying?"_

"...I don't want to hurt people anymore... It's... it's wrong and shameful... These... are my friends... And... if fighting with you means harming others, then maybe I..."

_"You _dare_ disobey my commands?"_ She backed away in a disturbing manner, not even bothering to have Peach's body change direction. _"...I see what you mean, Beldam. These cretins have gone so far as to deceiving Vivian and for obvious reasons..."_

Vivian started to panic for the others' safety. "No, Mother. Don't take it out on them... It's not their fault..."

_"From your disgusting behavior, I can clearly see it's their doing," _her tone began to darken with her face._ "They've influenced you to change your ways through means of trickery..."_

"No, they..."

"Is it me, or are you trying to make up a good excuse to avoid fighting us?" randomly acknowledged Waffles.

Her eyes glowing a blood red, she summoned a black lightning bolt to strike the Yoshi. Fortunately, he saw it coming and was able to dodge it. _"This nonsense ends now! Whether or not Vivian knows she's been corrupted, I will put an end to your interference by any means necessary!"_

Mario decided that was another way of starting the battle, as he swung his Hammer with all speed at the queen's head. She showed her pain with a disgruntled snarl.

"Can we really fight her like this? She's in Peach's body... Won't we hurt her in the process?" asked a reluctant Bobbery.

"Whether or not you decide to fight is up to you, but heed my words; she may be in Peach's body but that doesn't mean_ she_ is the princess!" advised Ms. Mowz, in a running start towards her target. In a skillful display of flips and twits, she delivered several slaps to the demon in disguise.

_"Your inexperience of the matter is beginning to annoy me!"_

She responded with several dark thunderbolts, all of them missing their marks. Mario tried to hammer her again, but was stopped as hundreds of shadowy hands appeared from the darkness and grabbed the end of his mallet.

"Ms. Mowz is right! We can't just stand by and let Gonzales lose to this freak show!"

Waffles showed his efforts by planting himself into her head, causing her evil hands to let go of Mario and descend back into the darkness from whence they came.

_"I see you aren't the kind who will go down easily... It's a real shame you wouldn't join me before. You'd all make excellent servants..."_

"Why would we want to be your caterers anyhow?" sarcastically asked Bobbery, as he exploded near her feet.

"We want Peach back, not you! So, why don't you just crawl back into that grave where you came from?"

_"Such big words from such a small Goomba. I admire your willpower, but I'm afraid that they don't do you a bit of good. You shall all become my subjects or you will perish knowing the true depths of my power..."_

In the blink of an eye, a mass of dark hands rose from the darkness and seized Goombella. In a dire attempt to pull her away, Koops and Flurrie rushed over to help pry her loose. Unfortunately, the evil appendages grabbed hold of them, threatening to pull them into certain doom.

_"As I admire your determination, I will ask you once more to join me; if you concede, I will forget your earlier resistance and spare your lives."_

Amongst her disgust at their captors, the Goomba scoffed. "Yeah, right! You're gonna have to do a lot more than that to make us join!"

Koops was starting to panic. Neither he, Goombella, or Flurrie could get loose, while Mario and company were forced to watch. If anyone else dared to even get near the hands would only pull in them. Maybe charging in like that wasn't the best idea...

In a flash of fire, he suddenly realized the hands retreating into the darkness, letting go of his arms and legs. Free from captivity, the three captives ran back to join Mario. Annoyed, the queen turned to Vivian, her hand still in its position of casting Fiery Jinx.

_"...So... you were telling the truth, I assume?"_

"I tried of being blamed for all the things _you _did... I may not be able to change my reputation, but at least I can make it better by defeating you..."

_"Nonsense. You should proud of you heritage. Maybe you're just blinded by frustration and can't think clearly..."_

_"The only thing that's frustrating me is **you**!"_

Without warning, she cast another, more ferocious Fiery Jinx upon her adversary, singeing her dress in the process.

_"...You do not know what you have done..."_ she growled, her illusory hands tightening in anger. _"I swear I will show you no mercy!"_

As a bit of added insurance, Beldam decided to intrude. "They aren't ones to be taken likely. We'd be happy to fight along with you and even out the score..."

_"That won't be needed... I think I'd rather deal with these fools myself..."_

Everyone braced themselves as the enemy called forth more power in the form of ghostly appearance and structure.

_"Now, come... If you truly think you have the mettle to deal with me... then by all means, let's see it..." _

* * *

_So this was it... It was all for one and the future of the Mushroom Kingdom hung in the balance. No stupid mistakes could be made and everyone had to think on their feet, fighting every way they knew how. Vivian felt she was ready, but were the others? Were they ready to fight for thousands of people around the world they didn't even know?_

The demented queen threw all she had at her adversaries. The battle was brutal and rough; intense, physically and emotionally. Her thunderbolts stung like searing spears and occasionally penetrated the skin. Her huge, ghostly hands would pound anyone they could catch or suck energy from them to replenish her own. It felt like their very souls were being drained... If the hands were attacked or defeated, they would disperse into a horde of smaller Dark Hands and trample anyone in their way. They also grabbed and pull anyone unlucky enough to get caught into the darkness where they were brutally pounded and hit with horrible, unspeakable things.

_Everyone was counting on them... The Stars were indebted to them... _

While the assault was tough, their wills were tougher. Despite the damage they sustained, they all kept fighting and pummeling her. They already made the mistake of letting her come back into the world and it was time to fix it... She continued dishing out her fiercest attacks, while Mario and the others did the same.

_She had to be stopped at all costs... The world couldn't fall into darkness once more._

It was all like a quick flash of her past coming back to haunt her... the Shadow Queen's attacks were the same way 1,000 years ago. Vivian knew what to expect, when to expect it, and how get away... But the sight of everyone else trying, getting struck down, then trying again filled her with new hope and confidence. She may've regretted her mistakes and wasn't proud of how she handled everything in life, but would she really be happier if things went back to the way they were?

* * *

_...A Koopa brushed away some blood steadily flowing from his broken nose. **"She can't stop us, guys! We just have to keep trying! We'll keep trying and she'll... she'll fall eventually! She's not invincible!"**_

_**"But neither are we! Look, if we keep going like this, we'll all die and I don't think we can make the world a better place as ghosts!" **A Boo grabbed him and glared into his eyes. **"This is it... It's all or nothing from now on, Kevin. ...Do you think you can handle that responsibility? Are you really ready to risk it all?"**_

_He looked back into her pearl black eyes, somewhat puzzled by her strict words. Then, a familiar smirk made its way onto his face.** "Haven't I always been?"**_

_**"Just be careful, now. We don't want anything to happen to our 'star player'," **sarcastically muttered a Goomba._

_**"...Star...?" **he looked up with new hope. **"Guys, that's it!"**_

_**"...What's it?"** timidly inquired a Toad._

_**"Her powers lie in the Crystal Stars themselves. Get rid of them and she'll be defenseless!"**_

_Adjusting her glasses, the Goomba scoffed.** "I don't think that's such a..."**_

_**"That's the plan and we're sticking to it! Don't get mad at me because I had a good idea for once!"**_

_**"That's not what I..."**_

_**"...Well... It may be a bad idea, but..."** the Toad paused before continuing. **"Maybe you could steal the stars... you know? ...You **_**are _the fastest runner..."_**

_**"That's madness! You can't do that! You'll be killed!"**_

_**"That's a chance I'll have to take..."**_

* * *

...Attacking with a Fiery Jinx,Vivian quickly decided she'd be more content if things actually stayed the same. Even if that meant leaving behind some her most cherished things... She needed to grow up and get on with her life. That was one of the reasons she was so miserable. 

_She never meant for any of this to happen..._

_But they'd turn out for the best, like always... right?_

That's what Goombella used to say. She was the optimism Vivian lost a long, long time ago... She knew how to bring her up when she felt depressed.

Flurrie never failed to compliment on her hair and how she thought it matched her attire. It made Vivian feel her visage wasn't nearly as bad as Beldam said it was...

Waffles may've been a little too independent, but he meant well and was good for comedy relief. He brought the most laughter to the group in terms of his own fooling around which, like Goombella, brought her up when she felt down.

Bobbery was so noble and a great role model, despite the loss of his beloved one. If Mario weren't the leader, he sure would've made a great follow-up. Smart and skilled, he always seemed to know what made Vivian feel secure when something bad transpired.

Ms. Mowz, though mysterious and vague, proved to be a true counselor in her own right. She was always there to help others find their way while they also found their inner strength by doing so.

And what about Koops? What did he do to make her feel welcome? And why did she see him in a different light than the others?...Why did she love him? Did he feel the same way for her? Were their emotions only exhibited by the constant stress they faced? Either way, they still had a lot in common...

...They were her best friends in the world. She loved them like her own family... The one she never had..._

* * *

_

_The Koopa smiled. **"So, this is it, then? We harness the power of these Crystal Stars and attack her when she's distracted?"**_

_**"Yes. I say we've really outdone ourselves this time,"** added the Goomba, as she squinted through her cracked frames._

_The Boo sighed happily. **"We may not be able to enjoy our freedom for long... but at least the world can..."**_

_**"...Yeah..."** was the Toad's soft response._

_**"Do you think we'll be remembered for this?" **asked the feminine ghost. _

**_"I don't know for sure. And even if we weren't... at least we know what_ we** **_did."_**

* * *

...Everything seemed to be happening so fast... Fighting, struggling, and fighting again. This was the final battle for peace amongst the Mushroom Kingdom... and she was going to fight it to the end... Vivian was finding it difficult to tell fiction from reality... The more she fought, the more she seemed to fade away... 

One minute, she was dodging the Shadow Queen's dark thunderbolts... The next, she was remembering something from her past, or in the middle of an abyss, listening voices she couldn't make out. Finally, she was snapped her out of the endless hallucination...

_"No! How can this be? I-I can't have been... __How could I have been... defeated by these lesser beings... than I?"_ she growled, her essence already beginning to fade away. _**"IT IS IMPOSSIBLE!"**_

...She thought this fight would take days to win...

Then again... Her attacks may've been strong, but didn't mean anything if the target moved around too much. Surveying the scene, she noticed more had gone on that first thought. Remnants of the huge battle were spewed all over the floor. Exactly what some of it was, Vivian wasn't interested to know, but the others seemed very tired, worn out, and dirty from fighting. Oddly enough, Ms. Mowz only suffered from unkempt fur...

The queen's spirit slowly disintegrated as clouds of repugnant poison exited Peach's body. Vivian could still hear her faint growling of defeat receding into the depths of nothingness. The black haze lingered about, creating a feel of panic it was another one of her deceitful attacks. That fear soon faded away like demon's ghost herself as they came to the realization they were victorious. Not only that, but Beldam, Marilyn, and Doopliss were nowhere to be found. After seeing the final blow, they most likely made their getaway while the others were distracted by their leader's decomposition.

...And just as quickly as she'd appeared, the Shadow Queen was gone, back to the purgatory from whence she came. It was so strangely quiet; Vivian could hear the soft burning of warm candles on their bases as they regained their natural colors of red and orange. The room gradually became and soon, a feeling of calm resided amongst the heroes.

Making sure the sure the coast was clear, Bobbery took the liberty to check on Peach. He, like everybody else, was naturally worried about how badly damaged she was by the ordeal. After a few observations, he asked for everyone else to come over, claiming the princess was fine.

"Are you sure she's okay?" Koops stooped down to get a closer look. "...Doesn't look like she's moving..."

At that moment, Peach murmured incoherently. Raising her head, she blinked a few times to regain her senses. "...Mario?"

"Hey, she's all right! She doesn't even look hurt!" exclaimed Waffles.

She lifted her head and sighed. "So... It's over then...?"

Ms. Mowz helped her up. "Trust us, you're not the only one who's happy."

"Mario, I feel like I should take the blame for this. It was that weird map I sent you... If I hadn't found that thing, none of this would've ever happened."

"Like we said earlier, it's not your fault," consoled Flurrie. "You didn't mean for it to happen on purpose, so it's not your fault."

"Hmm... Well, thank you, nonetheless..." she paused to rephrase herself. "...I thank all of you for saving me."

"Mario! Over here!" someone shouted. Everyone turned to see the voice belonged to Professor Frankly, who'd just entered the room.

"Professor? What're are you doing here?" Koops asked.

"Agh, would you believe I was attacked by some shady sorts that just appeared out of nowhere? I say, kids these days! ...Regardless, I followed you all down here to warn you, but..." he looked around. "It looks like you handled the situation yourself, and very well I might add!"

"Aw, it wasn't something that couldn't be done," bragged Waffles.

Bobbery eyed him. Oh, really now?"

"Oh, speaking of which..." he turned to reveal a rather large, opulent-looking chest. "Look what I found on the way here!"

"Hey, that must be the_ real_ treasure!" Goombella noted.

"Well, I should say so! That thing was murder on my back! ...But I don't think here is either the time or place for this. It might be best if we left."

"I couldn't agree more," said Flurrie. "The sooner I forget about this, the better."

Peach nodded. "Yes, let's all go home... I know Mario can lead the way out of here, right?"

"Why, for the Princess' sake, of course," the rodent curstied. "Looking back is always easier than trudging ahead in uncertainty."

"Yeah, yeah... We get it. Spare us the dramatic dialogue until we get outta here," Waffles pushed her through the door as Mario held it open for everyone to walk out.

"I don't think I've ever been so happy retracing my steps..." sighed Bobbery.

As usual, Vivian was the last one out, Mario letting the door slam behind him. They all walked away, survivors of the horrid Shadow Queen's terror, but bearers of her returning assult on the world. Hopefully, that would be enough to aid them in their life experiences... As they exited the dark staircase and mad their way out the main chamber, one last memory revealed itself in Vivian's mind...

_She felt a sense of pride, yet a tug of guilt after what she did that night. It was wrong, but in such a good way... A crescent moon shone brightly in the sky, showering the forest in a coat of pure silver. The night was warm, the breeze was cool, and Boos were out and about. Their occasional giggling and cackling made the woods seem full of life, much like the crickets who threw in a few chirps every now and again. _

_**"Mother won't be happy about this..."** said an unknown female.** "What if we get caught? You know she'll kill you..."**_

_**"She'll punish you, as well... But you don't seem too worried..." **said a familiar male voice. _

**_"Mother is hostile, but she could never come to kill someone as vital as a princess."_**

_**"Your mom's a bitch... ****She killed several of my closest friends. What's another one down the drain?"**_

_She scoffed. **"And you kiss **_**your_ mother with that mouth?"_**

_**"My mom's been dead for over 15 years; I kiss no one."**_

_**"...Except me?"**_

_**"If I feel like it..."**_

_**"What's that supposed to mean?"**_

_**"I dunno..."** he said, in a taunting manner._

_**"Loser..."** _

_**"Whore..."** _

_**"Freak..."**_

_**"Pansy..."**_

_**"What's wrong with being a pansy? They're flowers and flowers are beautiful, therefore, you're saying I'm beautiful."**_

_**"Flowers are stupid. They have the stupidest names. I mean, Snapdragon, Crysanthum...whatever, and Jacob's Ladder? ...What the hell's up with that?"**_

_**"Shut up..."** her discerning playfully pushed him to the ground. **"You're being dominated by one..."**_

_**"Like I'd let myself lose to a stupid flower..."**_

_The night went on and on, Boos and Dark Boos alike searching for their runaway princess amid the brush of the woods. ...Nothing would disturb them on that night. Not his friends, not her family, no one. But eyes were watching their every movement, ready to put it to good use, ruining their names... and their lives... forever._

* * *

...Later that evening, everyone stood at the docks, ready to see Mario and the princess off. The situation seemed heartfelt, yet rewarding at the same time. Peach had apologized multiple times for leaving so abruptly, but explained how she was sick of the whole Shadow Queen ordeal and wanted to spend what was left of her vacation relaxing at home. His job done, Mario decided it was time to go back with her. Vivian found herself still a little shaken up from their encounter with the evil demon, but wanted to see her happy for once. At least no one was asking her questions about her relation to the Shadow Queen... that was a relief... 

"So, you're leaving us already? ...Well, that's really a shame. I feel you being around would do wonders for my studies, with your traveling prowess and all..." sighed Frankly.

"Don't say that, Professor! Mario might think you're using him an errand boy!" Goombella laughed .

"Are you guys _sure _you have to go so soon?" asked a disappointed Waffles.

"I'm so sorry..." Peach gently patted his head. "I really would like to say and I've been delighted to know you, but I really must get back to the Mushroom Kingdom. I think I've had enough adventure for a while..."

"But... you'll come back a visit us, right?"

"Oh," the princess seemed shocked by his question, but smiled. "Of course I'll come back. From what I've seen of this place, it's very colorful and exotic. And there's so much of it I haven't seen! Mario already told me about all the wonderful places you went and I don't think his stories are enough to satisfy me. Toadsworth, you'd come back with me would you?"

The mushroom retainer nodded. "Why, er... yes! I wouldn't miss it for the world! ...But may I advise we stick to the map and not take any 'shortcuts' next time?"

Peach giggled. "I guess that could be arranged. Anyway, I'm so glad to have met you all. Not only did you risk your lives for my sake, you did it for our entire nation. The world is forever in your debt."

"Oh, don't flatter them like that. They'll get swelled heads," joked Frankly.

The princess grinned. "You all deserve praise for what you did. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Mario's heroic nature rubbed off on you."

"You can say that again!" beamed Goombella. "Mario, you taught me how to never give on the situation, even when it seems hopeless! I guess you can say you really furthered my interest for what happened a thousand years ago. Let's keep in touch so when I find out more, I can mail it to you!"

Bobbery nodded. "And I think I speak for everyone when I say your time here won't ever be forgotten."

"Old Man Bomb is right. I probably never would've been born if it weren't for Gonzales-- I mean, _Mario_... I gotta stop calling you that. But yeah, you're my hero, man! When you come back, let's team up and fight in the Glitz Pit again, just you and me!"

"Yeah..." Koops blushed. "Uh, I guess we got so caught up in looking for Peach I never really got to thank you... You know, with Hooktail and all... I was in a slump when Dad disappeared, but now's he back and I can't wait to get back home and catch up on my time with him..."

Flurrie clasped her hands together in a hopeful fashion."And my experience on the field has persuaded me to end my hiatus on the stage. There are so many conflicts and struggles we've gone through that I may only express there. Thank you, Mario, for renewing my love for the spotlight once more!"

"Well, well, well... I never thought our little rendezvous would come to end and yet here you are, trying to leave us! I must say, I refuse to bid you farewell, because as long as you live, your presence is always welcome. I will simply leave you with the hope for good things to happen in your near future," the mouse quickly flashed a Heart Finder badge to emphasize her point.

Looking down, Vivian tried to think of something to say. "Mario, I think you... I think you really turned my life around for what you did for me. I appreciate your efforts to make me part of the group and I... hope to see you again sometime..."

Frankly continued talking about how significant their presence was as Vivian let out a sigh and raised her head, only to notice Peach looking at something behind her... Or was she looking _at _her? It was hard to tell... Not wanting to stare if she was wrong, she just stood still, keeping her gaze on the plumber. It wasn't long before until the princess got her attention by mouthing 'Thanks for being there' with a slight nod. The siren blushed and sheepishly mouthed back 'You're welcome', with which Peach smiled.

Toadsworth peered over the horizon. "Ah, I think I see our ride coming, princess. Make sure you and Master Mario are ready to go once it docks."

No sooner had he acknowledged it, the boat arrived, coming to a sudden stop. Peach and Toadsworth boarded with Mario close behind as he waved once more to his friends. At that point, everyone started calling out different variations of goodbye to him, along with some saying 'Come back soon!' and 'Don't forget to write!'. As much as she wanted to shout one last farewell, Vivian found herself too shy and only waved, not wanting to seem rude or uncaring.

The boat changed its course and began sailing back to the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach and Mario stood on the rear still waving and calling out the their friends left on the port. The scene was sad, yet showed how much everybody was attached to Mario. Deep down, they probably weren't happy with his decision to leave, but were hopeful in their wishes he'd return one day and make up for lost time. Their respect for him was deep and not once did they ever stray from following him up on his choices, whether good or bad in their opinion...

* * *

_That was it..._

The Shadow Queen had been vanquished, the world was saved, Princess Peach was back in the Mushroom Kingdom, and Mario... the glue that held everybody together... the reason the team of friends had banded together through good and bad times... the idol of everyone's affection... was gone. He promised he would one day come back and visit all his friends and... maybe even go on another thrilling adventure in search of treasure and discovery... That promise... It was all they had left of him...

_After all the searching, fighting, and bonding, their adventure was over. It seemed like it had just began..._

Since Mario was gone, nobody really had a decent excuse as to why their own life should be on hold. Goombella still had to finish college, Koops needed to return to Petalburg, Flurrie was planning a trip around the world with her new play, Waffles wanted to return to the Glitz Pit, Bobbery felt the seas were calling to him again, and Ms. Mowz went back to selling and searching for badges.

...But what did _she_ have to go back to? Her empty, abusive life with Beldam and Marilyn? ...No one even know where they were...

Before they broke up, the Shadow Siren felt secure as long as she was with her friends. That was the problem; she was too dependant on the group... She should've known they'd disperse eventually. One by one, each partner bid their farewell to one another until only she, Flurrie, and Koops were left.

After saying her goodbye, Flurrie was about to leave when she remembered something. "...Oh, yes! I almost forgot! Vivian, seeing Peach leave made me think about giving you this... I should've done it earlier, but I wanted to wait until the whole Crystal Stars thing was out of the way."

"What?"

"Here," she removed her necklace and handed it to the Shadow Siren. "This now belongs to you."

Taking the coveted jewelry, Vivian gave her a plaintive look. "...Flurrie... I can't accept this..."

"Of course you can; I giving it to you. I've realized how much there is to be thankful for. Also, I feel a bit ashamed of how much complaining I did just because I couldn't find this stupid thing."

"Really?"

"As a returning star, I plan on starting over, while getting back to my roots. I remember seeing how much you liked it, so why not give it to you?"

"...Are you sure? Can I actually have this?"

"Yes, yes, you can really have it! Stop being so modest!" she chuckled. "It was the first thing I bought with my first salary as a beginning actress. I do hope you'll treasure it like I did."

"Oh..." she blushed. "Thank you... I'll always keep it with me..."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to Boggly Woods and start the preparations for my comeback. Oh, the Punis will be ecstatic! Au revoir, you two!"

They both waved to her, saying their goodbyes until she disappeared from sight.

Once she was gone, Koops turned to the other remaining partner. "Hey, Vivian?"

"Yes?"

"Where're you planning to go now that Mario's gone?"

"...Nowhere..."

"Nowhere? But... don't you have a home to go back to? Do you think you're sisters have learned their lesson?"

_Beldam had always been a stubborn person; the only way she'd be taught a lesson was if it killed her... There was no way she'd let Vivian slide so easily._

Regardless, she faked a smile and lied, "I think they know to respect me now."

Koops didn't seem convinced. "You sure? 'Cause if you need somewhere to stay..."

"I'm fine. Really. She just needed some sense knocked into her... Beldam knows to quit when she's ahead."

"Not from what I've seen..."

"I'll make up with them, I promise..." she smiled, flattered by his concern.

"Then... maybe I can come visit you someday... maybe?" he shrugged. "Where do you live?"

She didn't really know how to answer his question; the whereabouts of their home was so secret, even she didn't know where it was anymore. Too many years had passed and the clear path to their abandoned shed of a house no longer existed. All she knew was they resided in the deep forest of Twilight Trail...

"Twilight Town, we have a house there."

"Ah... great..." Koops didn't seem too happy knowing one of his best friends lived in such a desolate place, but smiled for Vivian's sake. "I'll be sure to drop by soon. Maybe we can have a get together with the others right here in Rogueport."

"Maybe..."

_Silence..._

"...Well... I guess that's that..." he paused and coughed awkwardly. "I've gotta go home, so... I'll be seeing you, Vivian..." he faintly waved and turned to leave.

She didn't even make an effort to wave back. "Bye..."

The siren watched him walk away towards Rogueport's East Side and into the sunset... She wasn't sure if she'd ever see him again, or where exactly Petalburg was... But did it really matter? Koops was a perfect Koopa with a bright future and good fortune. Who was she to mess that up by being affiliated with him? He'd be praised and respected... and she'd resume the lowly outcast, condemned to the shadows forever... That's how it was and, while she hated it, she understood to let sleeping dogs lie. She looked down at Flurrie's necklace... They could still be friends and have gatherings like he said. At least she had that to look forward to.

...Keeping her focus on the disappearing Koops, she backed into a nearby alley and faded into the shadows... Possibly to never return...

And never to know happiness again...

* * *

_**Authoress' Notes:** Whew! I worked **really** hard this chapter and that's another reason why it took so long to get up. I hope my efforts weren't in vain! I decided to skip the whole dramatic scene with Peach and the Crystal Stars bringing power from the other places they visited because it seemed really tedious and overblown after the 153rd time fighting her._

_...And yes. That's the end. :(_

_Maybe. __XD _

_...I dunno... You'll have to stay tuned and review lots if you wanna find out! _

**_IMPORTANT NOTE! _**_I am 100 percent sure there aren't around 600 candles in the SQ's chamber, so don't think I can't count. I only threw that in as a little joke, since 666 is the number of evil and all..._


	15. Ostracized

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ Heh heh! So many of the Reviewers were scared the story was over, since the SQ was dead. That made me laugh. I still have lots to write, so it's not done yet! _

_

* * *

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**_Better Off Alone_**

**_Chapter 15:_**_ Ostracized_

* * *

She let out a long sigh, disappointed at the scene before her. After going on a long journey with so many life-changing experiences,_ this_ was all she had to go back to?

Vivian felt unfulfilled; like she was back to square one, with no hope of ever escaping Beldam's anger in one piece. Twilight Town was exactly the same as last time, if not slightly darker. The residents were still spacey as ever and the crows were still cawing mindlessly, eying her with unspeakable intentions. The lighting was still creepy-looking and the closeness of the moon didn't make it any better. The trees were still dead, with weeds still sprouting around some places, and everybody still refused to treat her as an equal. ...She was accepted, but not welcome.

Comparing things to how they once were on the outside, the siren realized how she hated this place with every inch of her body... _It was so cold and barren, dark and weird..._ Perhaps she could try to convince her sisters to start living in Rogueport, or something.

...She suddenly clutched Flurrie's necklace in fear as a horrible scenario flashed before her...

_What if Beldam and Marilyn left Twilight Trail and had gone elsewhere? How badly would Beldam punish her for betraying them? And what would she do if she saw her sister wearing the very necklace she took away so long ago?_

Vivian wanted to leave Twilight Town... Leave and never return... But a Shadow Siren like herself had nowhere else to go, and her friends were probably sick of the whole 'inferiority complex' matter. She had to face her kin's wrath eventually and dragging it out would only weaken her with fear.

Heaving another sigh, she started her trek to the outskirts of town, but suddenly stopped. The necklace was too precious to get caught up in the middle if there was a squabble. She'd be crushed if anything happened to it. So, to ensure its safety, she removed the golden jewelry and placed it inside her hat's rim. She wasn't worried about it falling out; her curls would keep it in place.

Content with her plan, Vivian continued through town, soon having to take various shortcuts, twists, and turns to the one place she called home.

_The faster she got this over with, the better... _

* * *

Only a bag of leftover Mushrooms slug across his shell, Koops neared his lovely hometown of Petalburg. It seemed like forever since he breathed in the sweet smell of Petal Meadows and took in its bright atmosphere. Butterflies were as plentiful as ever and the grass was always the greenest around that area. The babbling brook brought back memories of how he always dawdled about, without a care in the world. That all changed when Hooktail came...

About that time, her dreaded castle passed his peripheral vision, forcing him to stop. It still loomed about in the background with its gruesome visage, being an ancient structure of evil, and all. He could still smell her rotting victims' carcasses whenever the wind happened to blow from its direction.

...But Hooktail was gone, no longer a threat to his village. Why was he worried over her stupid castle? It wasn't like she could exact revenge. Satisfied, he continued walking. Maybe he'd have the whole thing torn down and used to make more houses upon becoming mayor...

He continued on to town, finally reaching its main entrance. Everything seemed pretty much the same. Other than the fact that Hooktail no longer hovered about, not a thing had changed. Although, Koops couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched... A few townspeople either standing around or working on their gardens were giving him strange looks. It made him feel really uncomfortable as they watched his every move, stopping in the middle of their conversations and daily business as he walked by.

What was the problem, anyway? Did something happen? Were they angry because he never paid them a visit? Was it some kind of surprise party, or something?

_Did they even recognize him? Maybe they thought he was an outsider... Had he really changed__ that much in his absence? What if he'd been gone so long, they actually forgot who he was? _

Their staring was just about to get to him when...

"Koops!"

He and the townsfolk perked up to the sound of his name. Straight ahead, a joyful Koopie Koo ran to him, her arms wide open.

The villagers looked on in confusion. Surely she was mistaken... This new suave-looking Koopa who just strolled into town was actually the timid, little Koops who left awhile back? He looked... different. _Very_ different... Some had to confess to one another they didn't even notice the bad eye and bandage he sported.

Koops hated to admit it, but he didn't find himself all that excited to see the spunky girl... Something about her seemed so phony now that he'd returned. He _still_ found it hard to forgive her after the episode in front of Mario and Goombella upon their departure. It was really embarrassing to not only have your girlfriend attack you, but bring her assault on your two new best friends. He remembered how her saying he wasn't ready to leave yet crushed what little confidence he had... and in front of the famous Mario. He decided to let bygones be bygones after Hooktail's downfall, but was surprised to find a little part of him never let it go...

He also came to the realization how much he really _had _changed. The old Koops would've nearly had a heart attack at her screaming his name, not sure if she was mad or otherwise. Now, he was somewhat blank and unmoved by her calling him. He wasn't scared, nervous, or panicking in the least. He merely sighed as she bounced over.

"Koops, you're home!" she squealed, giving him a hug. She was too excited to notice how emotionless he acted.

Returning the gesture, he cringed at _hard_ her shell was. He didn't like the fact that a simple hug was more hurting than comforting...

Vivian was nowhere near this hard. No, her skin was soft like a baby's bottom, if not softer. Maybe being around a Shadow Siren and not a Koopa made him more affectionate towards softer things...

"Well, well, well! Look who finally decided to show his face around here!"

He looked up to see his father and Kroop making their way over. At their presence, he smiled.

"Who do you think you are, walking in here all cool, calm, and collected like that?" Koopley playfully hit his son's arm. "Are you trying to outdo your old man, huh?"

Koops blushed. "...I haven't changed that much, have I?"

"Of course you have," added the mayor. "You and that, er... Murphy friend of yours have been gone for a pretty long time. Heh heh. For a second, I thought you were one of those hoodlums from 'Ropeport'."

"I think you mean 'Rogueport'," corrected Koopley.

"Eh... same difference."

Koopie Koo decided to butt in. "So? Tell us about it! Where did you go? What did you do? When did you do it? Who did you meet? And how come you never called?"

"Well, it's a really long story... It might take a while to tell..."

"Then tell it over dinner!" she tugged on him. "C'mon! C'mon! Everyone's just dying to see the hero back in Petalburg!"

It wasn't long before other residents began flocking to the returning hero and savior of their town. Many of them clamored for handshakes and the story of his adventure working with the famous plumber. Others even asked if he had any souvenirs in his sack, and continuously called him 'the new hero', referring to the stalwart Koopa of lore. ...He never noticed how many desperate people lived in this place...

"Welcome back, Koops!"

"Great job with saving the world and all!"

"Did you get Mario's autograph? Please say ya got one!"

"I can't believe you put the smackdown on Hooktail! You gave her one for me, right?"

"This town can only get better with you around! You're not moving anytime soon, are you?"

"What're your plans for the future? Plan on settling down anytime soon? Are you going to have kids and name after the enemies you've fought?"

"Dude! If you ran for mayor, you'd totally get my vote!"

It was so frustrating with all the stupid things he was asked to comment on. Koops was tired; he just wanted to go home, have a light snack and take a nap. So, he saved the world... Big deal. It was really Mario to thank, not him. But he didn't express his irritability and played along with the crowd's pleasure. Who was he to act like a sourpuss and deny them the 'sweet little Koopa across the street' they knew and loved?

...But despite the tacky dialogue and silly questions, it was still great to be praised for all his hard work. Even though he lost sight of the objective more than a few times along the way, he resolved the problems and ended up a better person because of it.

He could only hope the streaks of sunlight amongst the dusty trails to his home were his mother proudly looking down him...

* * *

_...So she was back in this desolate dump of a home once again... Wonderful._

She shivered, not remembering Twilight Trail as cold or dark before she left. All the other places she went were much warmer... Well, there was Fahr Outpost, but that didn't really count.

The dark shack she and her siblings resided in was completely empty, void of any life. Crazee Dayzees were strangely scarce, while Boos hovered about in large clusters. This usually meant something bad was about to happen...

"I don't see why you bothered to come back here," someone muttered.

Turning to the sound of her oldest sister's annoyed voice, Vivian was startled to see her and Marilyn standing idly amongst some dead trees, the middle sister supporting a large bag of supplies.

Eyes plaintive, she cautiously approached. "...I came back because we're still family," Her tone was gentle, yet firm. "I think it'd be best for all of us if we just forgot about what happened and moved on."

"Forget about it and move on? Yes, let's forget all about our endeavors to bring back Mother so that we may survive after being sought after on regularly basis..." sarcastically scoffed the elder.

The younger siren had nothing to say. She knew Beldam would be mad, but to have own words turned against her still hurt.

"In case you've forgotten, we've been banished to live here because our queen was defeated. Without her, the Crystal Stars won't obey our commands unless each Holder is in possession of one... and three of them are _dead_!"

The tilting of Vivian's hat began to give her a darker appearance... Something inside her was starting to get irritated by all this drama. "Maybe the reason people hate us so much is because _you're_ always trying to kill them..."

"You just don't get, do you? _They're _the ones out to get us! I haven't seen another Shadow Siren in over 500 years and I assume we're the only ones left... If only Her Highness had taken hold of this world, then we'd have a chance to survive and prosper like the superior species we are!"

"She may've been our mother, but she was only corrupted by power and you know it!"

Beldam was outraged. "How dare you speak about Mother that way?! You don't deserve to be the heir! She should've given that title to me, rather than have a spoiled, little good-for-nothing like you!"

Vivian was practically seething. "Did you ever stop to think about the _other_ people living in this world? If Mother came back, they'd all die a horrible death!"

"But she _didn't_, and now _we're_ the ones who're going to die!"

_"That's not my fault!"_ Vivian slammed her fist against a nearby tree, scaring several crows out of it. There was an awkward silence, mixed with the birds' fleeting caws before she continued. "I may not be proud of everything I've done, but at least I'm trying to make up for it... That's more than I can say for you!"

"Then I hope you're prepared to stand by that comment--"

"I _am_."

The old witch scowled. The little sister scowled back... There was more silence.

Beldam had to admit she was impressed. The time Vivian spent with Mario had brought about a change in the little, scatterbrained runt of a sister. She was actually putting up a fight instead of cowering with her tail curled in fear of the events to follow... It was very perplexing, but not without its solution.

She decided to back off. "Fine. You want things to stay the way they were? Then, so be it. We're leaving this wretched forest. I think we've been here far too long and it's time to leave. Marilyn and I are going someplace else where we can start over and try to regroup on our plan on the Crystal Stars. I'd advise you not to follow."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, not only are we changing locations, but we're going to be traveling lighter this time..." Vivian didn't seem to understand, so she explained in better detail. "You're no longer allowed to stay with us. Frankly, I've gotten tired of taking care of you... I'm sure Marilyn has, as well."

Not getting the gist of her ramblings, she tried to intrude. "Fine. I'm tired of living in this junkheap anyway--"

"After this, I don't want to see you anywhere around for miles. I don't want you to follow us, to keep in touch, watch from a distance, or cross our paths again. I don't even want to catch your scent in the air! If I so much as find a strand of your hair in our territory, I swear I'll hunt you down and make _sure_ you'll regret ever getting in our way!"

"...Wait..." Her anger vanished in a heartbeat, replaced with horror. "You...You can't... You can't really mean that! It's not fair!"

"Nothing in life is supposed to fair. Have you ever thought of _that_?"

"But, that's not... I-I was only trying to make things the way they were before all this mess ever happened! I just wanted life to be normal for a change..."

"You should've thought of that before you rebelled and killed Mother..."

Vivian was speechless... Now _she'd done it; her uprising had finally made Beldam go off the deep end and do something drastic. What could she do? What could she possibly say to change her mind? Surely, she wasn't serious..._

The cantankerous sister saw this as a chance to strike. "Not only have you've proven to us that you're a failure, a weakling, and a cad, but you've shown you're also a traitor, utterly useless, and no sibling of ours." She started walking away, but then looked back with one last bitter comment. "...This is your last and final punishment, Vivian. Aren't you happy?"

"...But... It's not fair... I'm your sister... Leaving me out here is like... it's like murder..."

The only answer from her was a cold shoulder. "Let's go, Marilyn. The tree moss around here's starting to make me gag..."

Marilyn looked absolutely heartbroken. It was obvious by the way she lingered about she didn't want to leave their little sister behind. All Vivian could do was stare, pleading her to stay. They both knew she was much too vulnerable to live on her own... She had no money, no food or water, nowhere to stay, and lack the ability to fend for herself...

But she had to go... Although strong and independent, Marilyn was somewhat slow and often needed expert guidance in decision-making. Unfortunately, this was something Vivian couldn't give her. As much as they hated to admit it, the two depended on Beldam to take care of them both.

A gentle hug was all the portly sibling could give her at that point. The younger took advantage of this last warm gesture and returned it by a squeeze around her neck. To her dismay, it was cut short as Marilyn now had to disregard her very being; it was part of the banishing procedure.

She quickly turned away and joined Beldam to include herself in their remaining party of two. Striding off side-by-side, they now pretended Vivian no longer existed. It wasn't long before they had disappeared amongst the thick tree stumps of Twilight Trail... Their silhouettes seemed to disperse like illusions, as if they were never there.

_She couldn't believe it... Banished? What was left of her own family no longer wanted to have anything to do with her... She was now lost, frightened, and alone..._

_What could she do? _

_...What could she do? _

_...What _could_ she do...? _

* * *

Koopie Koo set down a bowl of Fried Shrooms in front of Koops, then returned to her seat at the dinner table. "So... Keep on going! Tell us more about your buddies. You already mentioned Goombella, Madame Flurrie, and a badge thief... I can't believe you had so many different friends."

"Well, there was a Yoshi Mario saved from being eaten as an egg. He was really outgoing and liked to pick fights with other people, unfortunately for us..." He laughed. "He would always be the first to start something and usually finished it with his attitude. There was an old Bob-omb sailor who was well-known for his navigation of the seas. He lost his wife a long time ago, but I think we helped him get over it by letting him tag along with us and sail the ocean."

"Wow, now that's exciting!" Koopley took a bite out of his Koopasta. "So many interesting companions, all with diverse ideas. Must've been a real hoot! Anyone else?"

"Oh, yeah. Uh, lesse see... Oh! There was this girl who was..." He paused, as a pang of remorse passed over him. "A Shadow Siren..."

"A Shadow Siren?" Koopie Koo turned her head. "What's that?"

"Is it some kind of a witch? No, no!" Koopley quickly shook his head. "Uh... A wizard? A magician! A sorcerer? Stop me if I'm wrong."

"Oh, oh. I've heard of those things," cackled the mayor. "Yes, I used to drink Koopa Tea out of them."

Koopie Koo giggled. "No, Kroop. He said _'sorcerer'_, not saucer."

The old Koopa went on. "Heh. It used to have so many grinds left in it; I never knew why... Probably had something to do with the number of Turtley Leaves I put in. I think the instructions said two, but the words all ran together, so I always ended up putting in 12 instead. Heh heh."

"I bet it's one of those Glitz Pit fighters with all those crazy nicknames? Right?"

"No, Dad. That's not what a Shadow Siren is."

He laughed. "Then why don't you tell us, Mr. Hot Shot? I bet you 30 coins I was right."

"Well..." Koops gritted his teeth, trying to think of a decent way to describe someone as enigmatic as Vivian. "A Shadow Siren is... It's a... kind of a... girl..."

"And?" Pushed Koopie Koo.

"She always wears this hat..."

_"And?"_

"She had really pink, curly hair and... and she was such a pretty shade of purple and... I don't think I ever got to see her eyes..." He smiled at the remembrance of her concealed face. "She was mysterious like that."

His father raised an eyebrow. "She was_ purple_ and you couldn't see her eyes? Sounds like one of those crazy goths from Twilight Town. That's where you picked her up, right?"

Koops was offended. "She's not a goth. She's very beautiful and sweet. She would balance on a single tail to walk and hid in the darkness where no one could see her. I thought that was pretty neat."

Koopie Koo frowned. "Ew, she didn't have any legs? And hid in the _darkness_?"

"I bet she'd rob someone in a heartbeat!" chortled Kroop. "Let her come to my house! I'll give her a poking she won't soon forget!"

They both laughed at the old mayor's joke, but Koops could only feign a grin, feeling hurt.

_So Vivian didn't have any legs and hid in the shadows... Boos were practically in the same boat... Yet, they still found her to be_ weird_ all the same. ...If they only saw how majestic she was and heard how soft she spoke, they'd understand._

Sighing, he stood to put his dish away in the sink. Koopley noticed the dismal look on his face and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing... I'm just really tired. I think I'll go take a shower, then hit the sack..."

Koopie Koo glanced at the clock. "But it's only half past seven."

"We had a busy day... I think I'll feel better after I sleep it off..." Without another word, he slowly slunk away.

Startled, she looked at Koopley. "...Was it something I said?"

"Oh, don't worry about him. He gets like that sometimes... He'll be fine if we just leave alone for a bit," he replied, not even believing his own answer.

* * *

_So, they were gone..._

Somewhere far, far away... From her. She couldn't bring herself to accept it. But sitting around in the middle of a dark forest, full of prank-loving Boos and grumpy Hyper Clefts wouldn't do her any good...

Vivian only took what she needed, which was pretty much all she had: a small blanket, 10 coins, and an old book. She still had the Boo Sheet Koops gave her, so that would help a little. She wrapped them in her blanket and tied it to a study branch broken from a tree. Slinging it over her shoulder, she sighed at the drab entrance of Creepy Steeple. Perhaps the Boos living there would let her stay. The ghosts themselves never posed a threat to the three sirens... Hopefully they'd treat one the same way.

She'd been there countless times before, but there were so many of the mischievous ghosts floating around, she never met the same one twice. No sooner had she opened the double doors, three Boos appeared.

"Heh heh heh!" cackled one. "So, what are you doing in this neck of the woods?"

"_Loooose_ something?" taunted another.

Vivian bit her lip and took a deep breath. _She had to keep calm, for Boos could smell fear..._

"No, I've only come to get some Golden Leaves. That's okay with you, right?"

The Boos frowned, none too happy with this optimistic attitude. They hovered about to get a good look of 'how scared' she was, but could find no such thing. Disappointed, they backed away.

"Uh, sure..." muttered a third. "Go ahead."

"Thank you..." She acknowledged their gesture with a bow and continued on, head high.

The trio stared at her with confusion of how unusually confident she was. Every Boo in that steeple knew how easy it was to scare her and often took pride in doing so. Shrugging off this new side of Vivian, the three disappeared into nothing.

The old building was no worse or better than the Shadow Palace. Other than Boos, only Swoopers hung around on the ceiling. The graveyard outside was swarming with ghostly inhabitants, but they paid her no heed. She used to go there on a regularly basis to get Golden Leaves for recipes and making a small profit in town.

She merely loitered about, still shocked over what just happened. Not only was she alone... She was defenseless. _What could she do?_ The question followed her like a chain of bad luck... Maybe the Boos would allow her to at least live in the basement downstairs.

...Mario came back to her in a kaleidoscope of memories as she traversed the tower, for was the only private time she spent with the mustachioed plumber. At one point, she even found herself attracted to him... Back then, she was so despite for attention. She'd become entranced with just about anyone who showed her they weren't her enemy. ...Only to smash her fragile heart into a thousand pieces and run off laughing at how gullible she was.

But she had backbone... and common sense. Mario wasn't right for her. He and Peach were a perfect match, probably knowing each other since childhood. Who was she to be the odd one and intrude in their romance?

Wandering around the pillars and unkempt crabgrass, Vivian soon came across the familiar dead tree in a secluded part of the tower. The deadwood was responsible for supplying her many Golden Leaves in times past, but its dreary appearance only made her die a little more inside. Its coveted Golden Leaves weren't the best things in the world, but were enough to help her survive. Unfortunately, the stupid things were always on the topmost branch and getting just one was always such a chore.

Reluctantly twisting her body around the tree, the siren began inching herself up the trunk. She eventually reached a high branch, grabbing a handful of leaves on the very tip of its limb. As she tried to back up to a thicker part of the limb, she realized an even higher branch had snagged her hat. With one hand keeping the lower branch steady, the other reached up to loosen the pointed hat. Her other hand trembled, the fistful of leaves making her balance unsteady, while she was forced to stretch her body in hopes of freeing herself.

She succeeded in getting untangled, but at the same time, lost her balance as the old twig finally snapped in two. With a startled squeal, Vivian plummeted to the concrete floor.

Annoyed, she rose with a splitting headache and a humiliating sense of defeat. The Golden Leaves were barely worth it, but throwing them away seemed a waste. Dusting herself off, she headed back the way she came, her derriere somewhat sore.

_

* * *

_

Retreating to the foyer, she confronted a vacant Boo, deciding to at least _ask_ for their consent. Maybe they'd take pity on her...

"Excuse me..."

The ghost whipped around. "Whaddya want?"

"Oh... Well, I have a bit of a problem, you see. I've run across some pretty bad luck and have been separated from my sisters. I'm going through a really tough time now, since I don't have any shelter... And I was wondering if I could stay for a little while...?"

"Why?" he sneered. "What have _you_ ever done for _us_?"

She didn't expect that type of response. "Well..."

Then, another Boo appeared. "Yeah! Why should we let you stay? You're one of the reasons Doopliss left and decided to fly right!"

"Without him around, this place is a total snore!" spat yet another. "What can you do to compensate our loss?"

"Maybe we should keep _you _here so we can scare you 24/7!"

Vivian gasped in horror of the very thought. She backed away towards the door, only for it to be blocked by more Boos.

"Leaving so soon?" one grinned, showing all his pointy teeth.

"I..."

"Here, trespasser!" joked another, pulling out the broken twig she fell from earlier. "Ya want some _more_ Golden Leaves?"

Vivian didn't have time to respond before the Boo smacked her in the face with it. This caused an eruption of laughter amongst the now hundreds of ghostly spirits. They continued their taunting and giggling, gradually getting closer and closer by the minute. They floated dangerously close to her, letting their tongues hang out as they screeched with glee at her fear. Vivian couldn't help it; she was now officially frightened...

"Why don't you just go back to where you came from?"

"Go away! Leave us be! You're not wanted here!"

"You're not welcome! Hit the road!"

"Be on your way! Get out, and never return!"

"We don't welcome you _or_ your sisters, trespasser!"

_It was so embarrassing and hurtful... She felt like the room was spinning..._ They rotated around and around, still chanting "Get out! Get out!" at her. Some even began to attack, running into the back of head, trying to take her bag and licking her face with their disgusting tongues. Becoming invisible, others would take her hat, pull on her hair from all directions, and try to carry her into the backroom and throw her off a flight of stairs.

She struggled against their growing strength, but the more she fought, the more they worked together to pin her down...

_She couldn't fight off the 200-plus ghosts; it was impossible..._ Another Boo jammed her hat down over her face as tears began to form in her eyes.

...Disappearing into the shadows, she emerged near the gate outside and ran as fast as she could from that place. She scrambled and dashed through thick shrubs and weeds, past several sleeping inhabitants, and nearly fell off a log that led across a murky lake and was one of the only ways to get back to the shed.

_Living with Boos would never work... They'd only play pranks on her all the time... Why did she even consider it? What a fool she was!_

Vivian continued running in a blind sadness until she realized she was near the edge of Twilight Trial. She looked back to the eerie darkness of the forest, then ahead towards the creepy evening sky. There was no way she could live in that awful place any longer. Like Beldam and Marilyn, she felt it was time to move on... There were no two ways about it.

Getting herself together, she fixed her ruffled, twig-filled hair and crooked hat, then slung the bag back over her shoulder and ventured down the path leading back to Twilight Town...

* * *

Koops retreated into his room, a million thoughts going through his mind. He never did get around to taking a bath...

Who knew his coming back would be_ that_ big of a deal? Even at this time of night, natives were constantly coming to the door, wanting to see him, to talk him, to be in his presence... He even thought he heard Koopley talk about throwing a party to celebrate his triumphant return.

_...But he didn't want a party..._ The old Koops would've loved the idea, but that was a part of him he'd lost somewhere between the edge of Boggly Woods and the shadows of Twilight Town...

_No! _He quickly shook her thoughts away. Koops didn't want to think about the Shadow Siren anymore than he absolutely had to. She probably already thought he was weird, and thinking about the cute way she hunched her shoulders whenever he complemented her only made it true.

Sighing, he flopped onto the bed and buried his face in a pillow to hopefully suffocate his grief.

Koopley appeared and softly knocked on the open door. "Koops?"

"...Yeah?"

"Listen, about what happened at dinner. Did we say anything to... bother you?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

He sat on the bed. "Tell me the truth."

Koops lifted his head from the pillow. "...Okay. Well, when I was talking about Vivian... You guys... really didn't have to joke about her like that. She's very sensitive about her look and... if she heard you say that, she'd be crushed."

"Well, we were only joking around. No one meant anything by it."

"I know, but still..."

"Why are you so particular about her, anyway? Was she your favorite?"

"I guess you could say that. I also kind of feel for her since... she hasn't lived a very good life. I feel like I can relate to her sometimes. You know what I mean?"

"Sounds like you two would make good friends. Maybe she'll pay you a visit. Who knows?"

"But I don't think she knows how to get here... She might not even be in Twilight Town anymore and I _really _don't want to go there looking for her."

"I understand. But hey," He slapped his shell, "don't be such a worrywart. Unless she took a cruise the mainland, you'll find her soon enough."

He looked up. "You think so?"

"Why not? Rogueport's not really a big town and it's not in a very big continent. You'll bump into her eventually."

Koops smiled, not completely satisfied, but grateful for the encouragement. "Thanks, Dad."

"Sure," He gave him a playful noogie. "Now get some sleep and we'll worry about this tomorrow."

"Alright..." He made a face as his father dig his knuckles into his head. It always gave him a splitting headache, but he let him do it, nonetheless.

Watching his father go, he huffed, his problems still not quelled. Maybe he just needed to get some sleep and let the whole thing blow over like Koopley advised.

...He walked over to his dresser and began searching for some pajamas...

* * *

Vivian muttered several curses as she made her way back to Twilight Town. As if the Boos in Creepy Steeple weren't enough, she soon found herself being pursued by several stupid Hyper Clefts for disturbing their sleep... Like anyone could tell the difference between the ugly things and a real rock. She had no plans of sticking around with the power-crazy Goombas to see the results...

She returned to town and began looking for somewhere to stay. Having only 10 precious coins, she couldn't afford anything from the shop. No one in their right minds would let her stay in their home, nor did she want to. The inn was also an alternative... but the fee worried her.

_...It didn't hurt to try..._

"Hello," greeted the innkeeper. It was a different one from last time. "Welcome to the Twilight Inn. Wanna stay for a night?"

"Yes... um... how long can I stay for 10 coins?"

"You don't have 20?"

"No..."

"Well, sorry about that," He started folding some sheets. "The fee's 20 coins unless you have a coupon. Can't rent you a room if you don't have the money."

"Please, just one night..." She clasped her hands together in desperate hope. "A few hours... One hour? A couple of minutes?"

"Sorry, no deal. I can't afford to keep this place open if no one pays the rent," The innkeeper gently shooed her out. "Come back when you've got some money."

With a defeated sigh, Vivian lowered her head and walked away. The three Golden Leaves were starting to look appetizing, thanks to her ever-growing hunger. But she had to hold out, at least for a little while. Until she came across some more food, this was her supper.

_So, what now?_ Things weren't going according to plan in town and going back to the forest was out of the question. Being a supposedly-extinct species didn't help her cause, either. She remembered once when the people of Twilight Town honored and respected Shadow Sirens, taking their dark appearance from her kin's culture. Now that the population had dwindled, it seemed they lost the tradition of such a thing. No one even believed she was a real one, assuming she was probably Doopliss in disguise. If she stayed in town, she'd be forced to sleep in the dirt, but would be at least be safe from what the villagers fearfully called _outside_...

And then she remembered... _Her friends! She had real, tried-and-true friends now! Loving, caring friends who'd never turn away in her time of need! Why didn't she think about them in the first place? Surely, one of them could help her out!_

_If she could _find_ any of them..._

...For the first time since they departed, Vivian came to the chilling conclusion that she had no idea how to get to any of their homes...

Dropping to the ground, she stared at her trembling hands, devastated at the inconvenience of this ongoing bad luck.

_She just wanted to curl up in a ball and **die**..._

* * *

The moon soon rose high in the sky, like it was proud to be shining over such a wonderful town. It was the clearest sight of it since the night before he left home. Vivian would've liked to see it, too... As a Shadow Siren, she liked moons, right?

He groaned. _Not again..._

...Why did she keep popping into his mind like that? No matter what he did or what he said, Vivian always came across his mind. Koops knew he missed her; he missed all his friends, but her absence in particular made him feel so... empty. That excuse sounded really sappy when he thought about it, yet it was true. Things were back to normal and he was back with a loving family, with high hopes of becoming the next mayor... But he felt lost, lonely, and for some reason... misunderstood. His interest in Koopie Koo had declined steadily since his return, not thinking about her much... after Vivian appeared.

He let out another exasperated groan. He didn't like Koopie Koo's attitude anymore. What she had to offer wasn't enough for him now. She used to make him feel small and embarrassed. Now, she made him feel in the dark and mislead. ...Unlike Vivian. He smiled at the warm memories of her.

_Shy, innocent, troubled, sad, but sweet..._ That's what he wanted... Someone who made him feel good about himself and their safety. Her presence changed him for the better. No longer did he feel so anxious, but inspired. The story of her life was like a sad melody with no happy ending: Things constantly became worse and worse, slightly better... then worse again.

Pulling the covers up for a good night's rest, he sighed and smiled at the thought over Vivian sleeping in an ever nicer, cozier bed.

Wherever she was, whatever she was doing... whoever she was spending her time with... He hoped she was happy.

* * *

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ Heh, Koopley called Vivian a goth. Classic. Sorry to make her have such a hard time in the forest, but it'll be important later._


	16. Forlorn

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ I'm glad everyone enjoyed the last sad chapter, so here's another depressing one! Also, if you can, I highly recommend listening to Fort Minor's song **"Where'd You Go?"** while reading Vivian's parts. I guarantee it'll probably make you cry. :(_

* * *

**_Better Off Alone_**

**_Chapter 16:_**_ Forlorn_

* * *

_...She couldn't remember a thing... _

_It was like a piece of her mind had been erased... _

_...There was something there, she was sure of it..._

_At least she thought something was there..._

_She sat lost and confused amongst a thick fog... Looking in each direction, she saw a figure every now again. It would appear, then disappear and reappear somewhere else..._

_Something--No... someone was watching her every move._

_Was this a dream? A hallucination? A memory? She wasn't sure. _

_Vivian didn't like this. Her dreams may've been strange, but at least they usually had meaning to them. This one felt dark and dreary, full of nothing but pain and guilt over something that couldn't be helped. She started to walk forward in a blind search for anything that could point her in the right direction of... whatever she was supposed to be doing. _

_It wasn't long before the fog started to clear up. Its gray haze still left the atmosphere dull and lifeless, but it was an improvement over an ominous abyss. As the mist receded, the surroundings soon became clear to the Shadow Siren. _

_It was that of a dense forest, full of sunlight and life. The sky was clear and warm, while the ground was nice and sturdy, despite being damp from recent rain. While the environment was beautiful, overflowing with the sounds of spring and the essence of summer, it all lacked color. From the huge, towering trees to several blades of grass sprouting from the ground, it was all so drab and dull. Everything was gray and faded, like an old painting... _

_What was this place? She'd never been anywhere like here before...Going deeper into the brush, she finally came upon two figures sitting on a steep cliff. They sat comfortably next to each other, admiring the distant ground below. In the foreground, she saw primitive buildings like the ones that used to exist hundreds of years ago. The sky was unusually clear, the air purer than ever before. It was like a giant natural reserve in the middle of nowhere._

_But that was impossible... It just didn't make any sense. Where was she...?_

**_"...No, Kevin... We can't do this..."_**_ one figure said. Her speaking brought Vivian back to focusing on the two silhouettes. _

**_"Why not?"_**_ the other figure, probably this 'Kevin', asked._

**_"It's not right. This'll never work out." _**

**_"What makes you say that?"_**

**_"Don't you see?"_**_ her tone became frustrated. **"It's like a cat falling in love with a dog! We're mortal enemies! We're supposed to be killing each other... like Mother said."**_

_He chuckled conceitedly. **"What's it's gonna take for you to get over that? How can we spend time together if you keep worrying about what won't happen? Who cares what everyone else says?" **_

**_"Mother would be appalled. If she found out about this, I'm sure she'd kill us both. Who'd look after Vivian if we were caught?" _**

_...What? How did this girl know her name? Furthermore, who was she? And who was the guy with her? This was so confusing... _

**_"Don't worry about it. You look repulsive when you're scared."_**

_She pushed him, which made him laugh.** "Shut up."**_

_...From their dialogue, the two seemed like the best of friends. Why should they be mortal enemies? Who where they? And why did she have a feeling she'd seen them before? So many questions..._

_...Everything started to fade into nothing as she stood there thinking... Pondering... And asking herself 'Why?'_

* * *

_She felt something on her. Something pushing and pulling her body... It sounded like there were several of them, as they uttered and made weird noises to one another... It was like some kind of specific language, but she couldn't understand a word..._

Slowly opening her eyes, her vision came into view... but she wasn't pleased at what she saw.

Several hordes of intrigued Spinias crowded around her, investigating this odd newcomer in their territory. They bumped and pushed together, squeaking and squirming to each other in a confused manner.

Letting out a shrill scream, she picked up her sack on a stick and swung it about the group of confused Spinias. They madly spun away in a frantic attempt to escape from this insane creature they once thought was a dead victim. Calming herself down from such a shock, she put a hand to her forehead to quell the pain of those horrible nightmares.

At least she couldn't remember them fully... And everything seemed all right. She was in one piece, everything was still in her bag, and there wasn't a soul in sight.

...Gathering her supplies, the lone siren walked over to an elongated pipe that would hopefully take her to the surface...

* * *

_...She had to think. She just had to... Her very life depended on it._

_Where had all her friends gone? None of them had actually planned on going to the Mushroom Kingdom, so they had to be around somewhere._

Vivian had made it back to Rogueport, swearing to herself to never set foot in Twilight Town ever again. It was full of too much hatred and failure. Now that she was free, she was no longer forced to stay in such a weird place with such weird people...

_Then again, who was she to talk? She was weird herself. There wasn't another one like her for miles... and those only ones were her sisters._

Fortunately, the town didn't look much different last time. Actually, it seemed a lot more friendly...

The few residents loitering about didn't seem crude or deceitful. She didn't spot a single thief, thug, or Bandit and even noticed several beautiful flowers growing nearby. An old, stone fountain placed next to a wall continuously pumped out and took in clean water, as its soft trickling created a sense of tranquility around the surrounding area. There was a quaint shop no more than a few feet away, along with a few houses, and a corridor leading to what she remembered were the city limits. Sure, it was no Poshley Heights, but then again, what was? It still looked like a pretty nice neighborhood. She wouldn't mind living here for a while...

Leaving the somewhat fancy streets of the West Side, she wandered into the middle of town, eventually settling down behind a mass of old barrels and crates next to a fence. Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly found herself brought back to reality with the grumbling of her stomach. The Shadow Siren glanced at her bag, thinking of the three Golden Leaves inside.

_Should she really eat one now? It seemed a bit too soon... _But maybe finding a new place to live wouldn't be so hard. Maybe she was just overreacting earlier. The West Side of Rogueport certainly had potential for starting a new life... and she had to admit she was curious as to the taste of an undisturbed Golden Leaf.

Untying her bag from its stick, she pulled out a Golden Leaf. Holding it up to carefully observe its texture, the ochre hue sparkled brilliantly in the little sunlight reflected upon it. Vivian never realized how golden it really was. The newly-expressed colors made her happy in a small, childish kind of way... She took a small bite out of it and sampled its taste. Swallowing, she shrugged; the flavor was somewhat bland, although it did remind her a little of Honey Syrup. She continued munching her meal, surveying the harbor from a distance.

Ships pulled in, letting sailors off with their supplies, while other ships pulled out, first mates hanging up the anchor and allowing the cloud-white sails to fly on their masts. Watching them dock and set sail like that made her think about Mario and the others...

The plumber himself was back in the Mushroom Kingdom at the moment, probably getting recognition for saving the princess once again. It was highly unlikely he'd come back anytime soon... But she had six _other_ friends just waiting to see her again. One of them would help back on her feet; maybe get her a house, some money, and a job nearby. Maybe after a while, she could go to the Mushroom Kingdom and become one of Peach's associates. She seemed like a very nice person; a sweet, warm, nice person whom she admired for her grace and beauty. They'd be such close friends and she could live in the castle and everything'd be happy for once...

But before she could see Peach, she had to the get to the Mushroom Kingdom, and before she could do that, she had to get in touch with her friends. The easiest place to start was right here in Rogueport, as Professor Frankly would undoubtedly lend her a hand. Goombella would've been more than happy to see her again, and vice versa.

Frankly's house was only a feet away, just past the barrels and boxes rested on. Suddenly inspired by her fondest wishes coming true, Vivian made her way through the olden archway and over to the professor's place.

How glad she was to finally have friends she could depend on, especially the ones who didn't live hundreds of miles away. Goombella was probably her favorite out of the group, as she admired her spunk and sassy attitude. Excited about seeing her again, she was about to eagerly knock when a note tacked on the door suddenly caught her eye:

**"To Whom It May Concern: I have temporarily left the premises in order to accompany a student in an expedition around the surrounding continents of our beloved Mushroom Kingdom. Back in 2 weeks,"** it read.

_Two weeks?_ Vivian frowned. _How could Goombella leave the group so fast, then turn right around and go on a field trip?_

She couldn't help but feel a little rejected by that. _Perhaps things weren't looking up for her, after all..._

But with the disappointment of missing Goombella came the remembrance of Waffles, who often had a beef with her. While he had to be her least favorite ally, on account of his cheeky behavior, he still wouldn't hesitate to help out a friend in need... Before he left, he mentioned something about a 'Glitz Pit' and how he always wanted to fight there.

She racked her brain to think... _Where was this Glitz Pit place? And how did Mario get there again?_ She wasn't with him the first time, but heard Goombella rambling on about it on a few occasions...

Retreating to the West Side of Rogueport, she began looking around for anyone that might've known anything about this 'Glitz Pit'.

* * *

Koops opened his eyes and awoke to the sound of breakfast sizzling downstairs. It wasn't long before the sweet smell of waffles and syrup graced his nose, causing him to rise from his dreary state. He yawned and took a deep breath. It was about 9 in the morning; an odd time for him to awaken, but it wasn't all that unusual.

He sat in silence for a moment, waiting for the rest of his body to wake up, all the while collecting on thoughts from his breathtaking adventure with Mario. Something like that wouldn't leave him for a good, long while...

After washing up and slipping on his old, blue jacket, he went downstairs. To do what, he didn't know. Maybe go outside and take a stroll to get reacquainted with all of Petalburg. Perhaps he'd talk to the locals and get caught up with the time he'd been missing. It was seldom often for anything big to happen there since Hooktail's defeat, but when something did come up, it was in everyone's best interest to know about it.

Lost in thought, he continued to grip the rail of the staircase, making his way to the living room. It never once crossed his mind where the source of the freshly-cooked breakfast originated from, despite their smells enticing his nose ever since awakening. He didn't think much of it as he reached the bottom and surveyed the scenery that was the living room of his father's house.

Everything was deathly silent, almost to the point he could hear the stream of a faint beeping sound in his ears...

_It'd been so long..._ he thought.

_So long since he'd seen those same curtains draping over the window next to the door he'd run out and dash back in so many times..._

_So long since his essence had graced the couch in front of the TV, which was rarely turned on after his departure..._

_So long since the smell of his mother and father graced his nose in a pleasant feeling of love and fond memories..._

Yes, this was home, but it took him until now to realize it. He walked away from the staircase and gently fingered the couch's arm, recollecting on thoughts from happier times. Through all the hustle and bustle of saving the world, his mind now set itself at ease with the aid of being here. Being home.

He'd survived the dangerous threats of his mission and this was his reward: to come back and remind himself that the coat hanger was over near the slim bookcase, the remote was always waiting on the glass-top table placed in front of the couch, and the decorative rug on the floor was not for cleaning off your shoes.

_There truly was no place like home._

Much to his dismay, his passionate thoughts were interrupted by Koopie Koo coming up from behind.

"Good morning, Koops!" she giggled, giving him a hug. "I made your favorite for breakfast today; Waffles with Honey Syrup and Fried Eggs with Fresh Juice. I thought I'd try my hand at making some food by Zess T.'s routine for once!"

"Yeah..." He muttered halfheartedly, not wanting to be bothered at the moment.

"Don'tcha think it turned out great? Why, I wouldn't be surprised if I became a gourmet chef!"

He walked into the kitchen and noticed his food on the table, stopping to take a glance. Just like Koopie Koo said, it consisted of two steaming hot waffles covered in oozing Honey Syrup, along with a pair of Fried Eggs fresh off the frying pan, grilled sunnyside up, just the way he liked him. The entire thing was topped off with the sprinkling of Turtley Leaf bits to give it a touch of nostalgic flavor, as he used to eat the native leaves when he was younger. Zess T. herself would've been proud; the whole dish was original, yet truly basic. It was made just the she would've wanted it.

But all of a sudden, their smells made him cringe... It made him sick to even look at its alluring display and welcoming gesture. His stomach quickly decided wasn't really hungry for warm breakfast today.

"Looks good..." he lied, looking into the refrigerator for something else.

Koopie Koo looked offended, then became worried. "Koops, what's wrong? Is something bothering you? You've been acting so weird lately."

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm just not hungry right now..."

_He shuddered as he remembered how Vivian used to say that._

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, maybe you just have an upset stomach."

He shrugged. "Maybe..."

"Well, all right," he heard her say, accompanied with the clatter of her picking up his dish and utensils from the table. "I'll just put this away until you feel like eating it, then."

With a yawn, he ferreted through the fridge to look for another source of food or refreshment. He went past eggs, milk, soda, leftover Fried Shroom, a pitcher of Koopa Tea...

Finally, he came across a batch of Mushrooms next to a carton of grape juice. He hadn't had that in a long while, so he poured himself a glass and grab three Mushrooms. Maybe that would make feel better, even though he wasn't sick to begin with... or was he?

...His musings were suddenly interrupted by someone ringing the doorbell. Placing his grape juice on the table, he called "Coming!" and went to answer it.

He opened the door, ready to greet someone, but saw nothing. Confused, he looked to the left, then right and frowned. Surely, someone wasn't trying to play a prank on him... were they?

"Hey, Koops! Down here!" said a familiar voice.

Quickly looking down, he smiled as he saw an old friend. "Goombella!"

"Yeah, long time, no see, huh?"

"What're you doing here?"

"The professor and I just found out what the 'ancient treasure' of the Thousand-Year Door was and I decided to do some research on it... A_ lot_ of research..."

"Oh." He was almost afraid to ask. "...So, what was it?"

Goombella shook her head. "It was just a stupid Dried Shroom! Of all of things!"

He laughed at the irony. "Really? So, _that's_ what everyone was talking about? _That's_ the treasure of the Thousand-Year Door, with all the magic and power and stuff?"

"Yeah, I know... Bummer, huh?" She stuck out her tongue. "The professor said it may've been an Ultra Shroom once in its lifetime, but it's way past its prime now..."

"Oh, well that's too bad. You win some, you lose some, I guess..." Suddenly out of things to say, he remembered something. "...Uh, not to change the subject or anything, but... have you seen Vivian anywhere lately?"

She frowned. "Sorry, I haven't seen her since we left Rogueport. She's probably back with her sisters in Twilight Town."

His expression also saddened. "Oh... uh, okay. Forget I asked."

"...Well, I just stopped by to tell you I'm going on a little trip around the Mushroom Kingdom to look for more clues on what happened with the Shadow Queen the Four Heroes. It's too bad we saved the princess when we did; there're still a lot of unanswered questions that don't add up, so I'm going to conduct some research of my own."

"You don't really think that Four Heroes nonsense is true, do you?"

"Of course I do! I know it sounds a little farfetched, but I've got a notion to believe it really happened. Hasn't anyone ever told you their tale before?"

"My mom did when I was a little kid, but I never thought it was nothing more than a tall tale..."

"Believe what you want, Koops, but as an aspiring archaeologist, I feel I have to uncover the mystery and prove the facts for the benefit of the future as we know it!"

"It's good to see you got off to such a good start..." He looked around. "But where's Professor Frankly? Isn't he coming with you?"

"Well, I thought we could try traveling together just for the experience, but the sewers really proved too much for him, so he decided to go back. We just mail each other back and forth to keep touch."

"Oh, I see..." He scratched his head, out of things to say again. "Uh... do you wanna like... come in for some Koopa Tea and rest awhile?"

"No thanks. I actually checked into the inn late last night and didn't leave too long ago, so I'm good. I only came to talk so you guys won't think I'm a total spaz for leaving and not telling anyone. I'm kinda in a hurry, so I think I'll just go see Waffles before I leave, since I'd really like to study more on the history of the Glitz Pit. If anyone comes looking for me, let 'em know I'm out."

"In that case, take this." He handed her a Mushroom and smiled. "For good luck. It must've been brutal getting here through the sewers."

"Oh, thank you! That's so sweet!" She happily accepted it and turned to leave. "I'll be sure to bring back a souvenir for everybody when I get back. See ya!"

He waved. "Have a great trip! I hope you find what you're looking for!"

Koops stood there watching until she disappeared from view, past the vast, green hills of flowers and the nearby stream outside Petalburg. He turned around and closed the door with a smile.

_What a pleasant surprise to see her again so soon._

It made him feel appreciated, like the six friends he'd made over the journey turned out to be real ones. The ones who wouldn't laugh or make fun of him like the so-called 'friends' he had when he was little. _They were true-blue, the kind that was nearly impossible to find._

Taking his remaining Mushrooms and grabbing his grape juice from the kitchen, he retreated to his room to eat in peace. He couldn't exactly explain how or why... but he was feeling a little bit better now...

* * *

After asking a few residents about the Glitz Pit, a small Toad on the West Side finally pointed Vivian in the right direction, saying that since the Glitz Pit was in the sky, a blimp was the only way to reach it. She'd never flown on anything before, and the very thought of having to control it intimidated her. Regardless, she followed his directions and soon spotted a Cheep-Cheep-esque blimp in the distance. Her spirits lifted, she started to make a dash for the pipe leading to it, but was stopped by a real Cheep-Cheep guarding the rail. Not wanting to seem rude, she politely spoke to him.

"Excuse me, sir. Is it alright if I can take this blimp to..." she paused to try and think of its name. "Uh... Glitzville?"

"Well, you're going to need a Blimp Ticket. I'm sorry, but you can't ride the blimp without it."

"But... Why?"

"I do apologize, but it's just so hard to trust people these days. If I rented this thing out to someone who didn't buy a ticket to pay for its services and it went missing, I'd be out of a cozy job! You understand where I'm coming from, right? Unless you have a ticket, I simply can't allow you to use our blimp."

After a long pause, she nodded. "...I understand."

Dejected, she turned and simply, if not angrily, walked away. It was for her sake and the Cheep-Cheep's.

_What a crazy rule!_ she thought, an ugly scowl on her face._ It wasn't like everyone in the world had enough money to buy a ticket, let alone know where to get one!_

Vivian felt like doing something rash; something crazy, something she knew she'd come to regret afterwards... But committing a crime would only make things worse. It wouldn't bring her any closer to finding her friends if she ended up breaking the law out of desperation.

She just had to take it and move on...

* * *

It was nearly noon and Koops was actually bored. He sat in the front room staring blankly at the TV as it went on about Bowser being recently spotted in the Poshley Heights area. The eyewitnesses were all stunned and shocked to see the Koopa King in such a remote area of the Mushroom Kingdom. Many of them feared it was some sort of omen, with the entire region doing deathly dark not long afterwards.

_But that's over with. Nobody even cares anymore..._ he thought, changing the channel to some natural documentary on Yoshies.

Koopie Koo had been next to perfect with keeping up with the chores around the house, making impossible for him to do anything at the moment. The only thing Koops had to do was wash his jacket and undershirt, wearing only a plain, indigo shirt while waiting for it to dry. At that time, Koopley walked in.

"Koops, it's a beautiful day outside. Why don't you go out and socialize a little?" He smirked. "Or are you afraid of all your fans planning to ambush you?"

He laughed at his dad's comment, not sure if he was being sarcastic or not. " It's not that big of a deal, Dad. I bet everyone's already forgotten about what I did anyway..."

"Of course it's a big deal!" he exclaimed, startling him. "You need to show a little more backbone! Go out there and show everyone you've got a good head on your shoulders and you're not afraid to show it! You know that's what they want in a mayor: bravery, courage, and a good sense of amiability. And trust me, you've got that all... if you'd just show it a little more often."

Unfortunately, he was right. Although he wasn't old enough to qualify, he was still a worthy candidate and residents would judge him nonetheless. He always said he wanted to be mayor, ever since he was a child. He wanted to be in charge so he could change all the "bad things" about town, like having to eat all your vegetables before dessert and an earlier curfew on weekends.

_He was so naive back then..._ It made him laugh at how simple he used to be.

"Yeah... I guess you're right," he finally said.

"Have I ever not been?" he joked, walking over to the door. "I'm going to the shop and get some Honey Syrup. Want anything?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm good. There're still some Mushrooms in the fridge."

With a nod of understanding, Koopley left. No sooner had he passed the window, the phone rang. Koops didn't know who it could possibly be._ No one hardly ever called the house..._

Nonetheless, he rose from the couch and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, my main Koopa! Can you guess who this is?"

He made a face. "Uh... I think you may have the wrong number..."

The voice scoffed. "For crying out loud! It's me, man! Waffles! Remember? Don't tell me the mayor of Petalburg forgot about his best buds already!"

"Waffles!" Koops' face lit up. "You know I'm not the mayor yet. I just got back home the other day."

"Eh, it could happen... Anyway, how ya doin'? I just wanted to touch base with someone before I get into the fray."

"Oh, you're fighting already?"

"Like it's that hard to get signed up! They were practically _begging_ me to join! And the really cool thing is they'll set me up with double pay for an entire week if I win the first five fights with no help! Next time you see me, I'll have my name up in lights! 'The Great Gonzales Jr.!' Yeah!"

He stifled a laugh. "So... that's your name?"

"Yeah! Gonzales helped inspire it! It's like a... a second coming, you know? Like the return of some guy's apprentice to carry on and finish what he started, just like in those crazy fighting movies, right?"

"Uh huh... Have you beat anybody yet?"

"Nah, haven't even started. I've been out here in this phone booth, looking up everybody's numbers for the last hour, but no one's picking up! Hey, if you see anybody else from the team, tell them to drop me a line. I want you guys to see me kick butt on the stage!"

"I just got done talking to Goombella. She said she might be coming that way soon."

"Cool! We could have an interview or something so she can spread the name of the Great Gonzales Jr. around! All the way from Keelhaul Key to Twilight Town, everybody'll know who I am, just like Gonzales!"

His smile slowly turned into a frown at the mentioning of that dreadful place. Donning a somber tone, he cleared his throat. "Uh, Waffles?"

"Yeah?"

"I know this might sound a little strange, but... You haven't heard anything about Vivian since yesterday, have you?"

"No, why? Is that a bad thing?"

"Oh, no... No, it's not a bad thing. I was just wondering..."

Unbeknownst to Koops, Waffles frowned. "Well, it sure sounded like it."

"No, no. It's not like that."

There was a short pause on Waffles' end as another voice could be heard in the background. The Yoshi turned away from talking and began a conversation with it. Koops held the phone in confusion for a while and was about to hang up when Waffles came back on.

"Hey man, I'd love to talk longer, but I gotta go. I'm fighting a buncha Goombas next, so wish me luck! I'm out!"

The phone abruptly clicked off, leaving Koops to hear the dial tone from the other end. Hanging up, he went back to watching TV.

...But his dad was right, he concluded, glancing at the warm sunbeams coming through a window. It was a great day outside, a lot better than some of the weather on Mario's journey. It was usually way too hot, much too cold, or far too dark to venture off and enjoy the time alone.

He decided to wait until his attire was done washing; he felt naked leaving the house without it...

* * *

_So, going to Glitzville was out. Who else could she turn to?_

Vivian walked into Rogueport's main area once again, a little depressed from being denied contact with Waffles. But her tender heart would eventually cope, as there were still other friends available who didn't live in some fighting arena in the sky...

About that moment, she happened to pass that same noose and wooden platform marking the middle of town. For a moment, if just a second, it forced her to stop and look at it. Watching the roped loop lightly swing in the breeze sent chills up and down her spine. Memories came back to her while looking at its dismal frame...

They were fuzzy and difficult to draw from, but all she could recall was that the noose was a very bad thing she should avoid at all costs. Lillian once told her a story about a careless friend of hers who got caught in one and she never saw her again.

...Revisiting sorrow, she hung over the wooden fence nearby, contemplating her next move. As she sat there thinking, several Toads rushed over from the East Side and ran down the stairway leading to the docks. They all looked like sailors, similar to ones back on Keelhaul Key. Upon closer inspection, they all carried barrels and fish nets, perfect for a ship setting sail on a long voyage. Seeing this made her think of how much of their adventure she missed on the island, due to some stupid Putrid Piranha.

It finally crossed her mind that Bobbery had planned to sail the seven seas and get back to the sailor life he was so accustomed to. He was such a sweet, old guy and she sometimes pitied him for having to maneuver the ship to Keelhaul, despite his great abhorrence of it. She remembered how sometimes he talked about how the fresh, open air of the ocean always put him at ease when it blew past his mustache, and how grateful he was for Mario to return that feeling to him once more. If only more Bob-ombs had that type of outlook on life...

Then it hit her... _Maybe_ he_ was the one setting sail! Yeah! That made perfect sense! Bobbery had to be in the harbor somewhere! Being the sweet, old guy he was, she imagined him offering to take her straight to the Mushroom Kingdom and see Peach and Mario again!  
_  
Excited her theory was right, she quickly followed the Toads. Just as she suspected, a large ship with lots of cargo was about to leave and sailors of many different types ran about with boxes, nets, and food for the trip. Many of them pushed past her in a hurry with utterances of "Move it! Outta the way!" and "Watch where you're goin'!"

Dodging the rude workers, she wandered around in hopes of finding help. Most of the sailors had frightening marks, scars, and tattoos on their bodies earned from the rough life of working on ships. She couldn't help but cower as some of them stared her down with the intentions of doing harm.

Finally, she came across a young Bob-omb sailor reading off a list of supplies behind the stairway. He didn't look too big or scary, so she cautiously approached him.

"Uh, yes? Hello there... Um, do you know if this ship will be going anywhere near Keelhaul Key?"

He looked up at her in shock. "What? No way! You must be outta your ever-lovin' mind if you think we're goin' anywhere near_ that_ place!"

She bit her lip, startled by his response. "Well... Have you ever heard of an old Bob-omb sailor? Named Bobbery?"

"You must be new here, little lady!" he laughed. "Of course we know about Bobbery, that old sea dog! He's like a legend around here!"

Her eyes lit up. "Then, could you tell me where he is? Is he in the harbor somewhere?"

"Oh, yeah, I've seen him around the harbor... but you won't find him here anymore!"

"...What?"

"You really must be a newcomer, or else you'd know Bobbery just set sail to destinations unknown yesterday!"

_She winced as she felt the agony of defeat slice through her confidence...  
_  
"...Really?"

"Really! It was all thanks to that Mario guy from the Mushroom Kingdom for bringin' back his love of the salty ocean! Said he wanted to get back to his roots and set off to freely sail the seven seas like he used to! Why, I wouldn't be surprised if that guy ended up livin' on an island!"

"...Do you think he'd be on Keelhaul, at least?"

"Hmm, I doubt it. Keelhaul's kinda his home base. It's where he crashes to take a break, or somethin' like that. I don't think he'd go there and stay for too long before zoomin' off on his vessel once more."

"I see..." She lowered her head. "Well... thank you for your time..."

Her heart literally fell to pieces as she slowly walked past the big, burly sailors to make her way back upstairs...

* * *

The clock in the living room began to chime, reminding everyone it was four o' clock. Ignoring it, Koops sat on the couch reading a book he started before running into Mario a while ago. He'd lost his place and had to start over, but at least it was helping to take his mind off a certain somebody whose name he didn't want to think about...

The door opened then slammed shut as Koopie Koo came in, humming to herself. Along with a bag of groceries, she had several letters in hand. Koops disregarded this and continued reading. He never got any mail other than chain letters, which he didn't approve of.

"Hey, Koops!" she called, placing some letters on the table. "Look, you got some mail!"

"Really?" he asked, taken aback. "You sure it's not for Dad?"

She looked closely at the envelope and showed it to him. "No, it says you name right here. See?"

Taking the envelope, he scoffed as he opened it. "I bet it's one of those dumb chain letters again. You'd think they'd have better things to do, rather than send me this junk..."

Skimming over the contents of the note, he quickly realized he was far from right. He read through it carefully, then again to make sure it was from the right person.

Koopie Koo leaned over, intrigued. "What is it? Who's it from?"

"A friend of mine," he said, more excited than he let on.

**_"Dear Honorable Koops_**

**_I have decided to go on a quite a long trip around the world with some old cohorts of mine. Yes, I know it seems sudden, but that old braggart Flavio has already bought another ship, found a treasure map, and even had the gall to ask me to be its captain! I think this may be a sign from Scarlette that it's high time to revisit the seas once more... Wish me good luck and bountiful adventures, my boy! _**

**_Sincerely, Bobbery." _**

After reading the letter to herself, she asked, "Is that the sailor guy whose wife died?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, that's so inspiring! Koops, why haven't _you_ done something cool like that?"

He heaved a sigh. She probably didn't mean any harm and might've been joking... but did she have to say it in such a degrading way?

"I helped the famous Mario save the world, and that's all you have to say about that?" he replied, trying to play along.

"Yeah, but that was Mario's doing. You guys may've helped him out, but I bet he had to rescue you more than you helped him," she laughed, poking him in the nose. "You've always been such a clumsy Koopa."

He laughed weakly. "I never was very light on my feet..."

He tried not to sound hurt, but he truly was... Koops knew she didn't mean to hurt his self-esteem; she just never realized where the funny jokes ended and the offensive ones began. It was mostly his own fault for never voicing on how it made him feel, allowing her to ramble on and on, delving deeper into his past and pour salt on old wounds.

Looking down and away from her, he absentmindedly searched through the mess of letters on the table. She continued to list examples of how inept he'd been in the past and read through another letter that was probably for her. He didn't care at the moment...

"Koops! Look, look! You got another letter!"

"What?" He raised his head. "Another one?"

She opened the envelope. "Yeah, I'll read it to you."

**_"Dear Koops_**

**_Sorry for the messy writing, but I wrote this letter just a few minutes before leaving Boggly Woods. I'm pleased to announce that not only has my career gotten off to a great start, but I'm getting additional assistance from the real Zip Toad! After hearing about my return to the stage, he proposed a script for his new movie in its early stages. He decided to turn it into a live performance and we've been working on it ever since! We plan on auditioning for only the best and editing nearly everything, so the actual opening night could be months away. But I'll make sure you all get in free, of course. _**

**_Fashionable and Fabulous, Flurrie."_**

_Wow..._ Koops thought, a little shocked.

He didn't really know all that much about the famous actor, but for him to approach Flurrie in hopes of working with her was a rare treat. And it happened so fast, too... Then again, Zip Toad was famous; he could do almost anything. He was probably _waiting _for her the second she got home. Either way, he was glad for her.

"Hey, this one must be from the actress!" Koope Koo grinned. "It must be nice to be able to travel the world and give people a thrill like that, huh?"

"She might not stop here, though. It's such a small town..."

"Well, who knows? She could come by just because you live here." She took his hand. "If she does, would you take me to see it?"

He managed a wary smile. "Yeah... Of course, I would..."

She smiled. "Great. I'd love to see you portrayed. And your friends, too."

Koops wasn't so sure he felt the same way...

* * *

Failure... That's what she was, plain and simple. She was a failure at everything she attempted to do, and failures never got far in life. That had to be the reason for her ongoing bad luck. Who knew so many bad things could happen to such a good person in one day?

Ever since her disappointment at the harbor, things had only gone from bad to worse...

In her haste to get down to the docks, the Shadow Siren failed to realize she didn't take her precious bag, leaving it out in the open for all to see. After realizing it wasn't slung across her back like usual, she rushed back over to the barrels and went through it, hoping against all hope its contents were still there.

_But hope was somewhere else that day. It wouldn't be coming for her anytime soon...  
_  
The small bag had been completely raided; not one bit of food or money was left. The only thing spared from the greedy hands of its thieves was her blanket, which was the bag itself, and the old book. Vivian was devastated, to say the least.

_It was gone, all gone. Her items, her belongings... Her dreams... Gone._

She was on her own now. She had to rely solely on herself and nothing else... The world was her enemy and she was no one's friend.

_All of a sudden, her dream of starting a new lifestyle seemed further away than ever before..._

...That happened days ago... Or was it hours? Her mind was slowly slipping away and was barely able to keep its focus... Several times she'd gotten lost in her own desperation. It was her worst adversary, yet her only form of solitude.

She'd traveled long and far... Through the twisting maze of Rogueport Sewers and to some other place, too. She didn't know where, though.

The Shadow Siren was looking for someone, someone who'd be nice to her. She couldn't recall her name at the moment, but she was the one who gave her pretty necklace hidden securely in her hair. The Cloud Spirit... she lived down here in the sewers, didn't she?

_No, she lived in Boggly Woods..._ Vivian knew this, she just couldn't remember...

Unfortunately, she also knew Flurrie had planned to immediately leave for the stage and probably wasn't at home...

_But she had to try... She just _had_ to..._

As much as she hated trekking through the colorless foliage, admiring their beauty and hating the memories they gave her, she was determined to find what she sought.

...That's what brought her here; to this huge tree thing, where she now pleaded to these tiny, docile creatures for their help... For their concern. And possibly, for their pity...

_"Please..."_ her voice quivered with exhaustion, "Please tell me you know where Madame Flurrie is... I really need to know... It's very important..."

"Sorry," squeaked a Puni, "she left in such a hurry to get her tour started, we have no idea where she's gone."

"I'm pretty sure she said something about striking a deal with that famous Zip Toad guy to get some actors for the stage..." said another. "That's all we know, I'm afraid."

_Yes, that was always the answer... It always had been and it always would be. Forever and ever and ever in a continuous cycle of relentless animosity until it killed her. Flurrie wasn't in at the moment and wouldn't be back until it was too late to save her troubled friend. Yes, that was always the answer. It wouldn't have been any other way..._

She bid a halfhearted goodbye to the Punies and left their tree. Their home. Where they had family and friends... Something she wasn't allowed to deserve. After aiding in the destruction of the Shadow Queen, this was her ultimate punishment. At the rate she was going, expiration wasn't too far behind...

* * *

The evening sky changed from blue to lavender, then a soft pink as the sun steadily lowered itself behind the mountains in the distance. Shadows of the natives' houses were cast and hung over themselves over the olive green grass. A single star sparkled amid the clouds above, possibly signifying something... Something trivial and seemingly unimportant, yet full of meaning to those who knew how to look at it. Koops didn't go outside as early as he'd hoped to, but wanted to enjoy the cool night air.

People here and there saw him strolling about and bid him friendly greetings and treated him with respect. It was like they'd all turned over a new leaf. Prior to leaving town a couple of months back, the residents of Petalburg often paid him no heed; not because they were ignoring him, but because he often seemed so uncomfortable talking to others. He was a good guy and all, but sometimes had an issue with socializing. He usually froze up and would stutter, run out of things to say, and ultimately leave in a sudden hurry.

_But he wasn't like that. Not anymore..._ Whatever transpired over the amount of time he spent with Mario built him up with a tough backbone, while failing to change his overall docile nature. It gave him more confidence, better judgment, and taught him how life should be taken one step at a time. He saw the world in a different way, with new opportunities knocking on his door. Maybe it had something to do with puberty and hormones, as he _was _right in the middle of that awkward stage...

He walked in a mature stride towards Petal Meadows, hands in his pockets, eyes on the ground in a reflective manner. The dirt trails and cobblestone roads slowly turned to fresh, green and grass, with wildflowers growing in every direction. Only Petal Meadows had such things that remained pure and untouched.

Finding a nice, smooth patch of grass near a tree, Koops settled down. He looked up at the evening sky, the setting sun now in the process of coloring it orange like it did at the end of every day... The clouds slowly drifted past, overshadowing him with their lofty nature, then gracefully floated away as another cloud took its place. It usually made him happy to just lay there in the warm grass with Koopie Koo and watch as the stars slowly became visible. The cool breeze would occasionally sweep past them and her hair flowed with it in a mess of orange.

At that moment, her hair made him think of Goombella's ponytail and he smiled. In just the last 24 hours alone, nearly all his friends had contacted him in some sort of way to either talk about what they were doing or ask him the same thing.

It made him feel really loved. He already mailed all of them letters explaining how Goombella was doing this, Flurrie was doing that, and so on. Everyone seemed to be doing fine, especially after going on such a death-defying adventure with one of the most popular heroes in the world. It was like it was their destiny to be a part of something so amazing and full of wonderment.

Yeah, it was a good feeling to be surrounded by so many friends... _But it didn't satisfy him..._

Sure, everybody seemed to be doing well... _But that wasn't good enough..._

Because he had no idea where_ she_ was...

_Where had Vivian gone?_ That's what he wanted to know. The answer to that simple question would put his mind to rest and settle his disturbed conscience.

_But what if the answer he was seeking turned out to be an awful one he'd rather not know? What if her sisters had done something horrible to her? What if she was cornered by a pack of bloodthirsty Chomps in a cold, dark alley with no hope of escape? What if she was being held against her will by a perverted lunatic?_

This entitled him to worry about her well-being. It was clear his concern for Vivian had turned into despair. Even if she was doing fine and living on her own, he still wanted to see her again.

Looking at the orange sky becoming red, then slowly changing into a creamy purple, her image came to mind.

_Sweet and innocent... Lost and confused... Lovable, but self-hating... Perky, yet sad... He pitied her so much..._

Maybe one day, he'd take her out somewhere quaint where they could sit and talk about things on a more delicate level. Koops wanted to learn more about Vivian and he wanted her to know he was always available if she ever needed help.

He was in the middle of picturing the siren curling her fingers nervously in that pink mane she called her hair, smirking shyly from a complement when a pair of hands obscured his vision. Startled, he flinched, uttering a small grunt of shock.

"Guess who?" said a sly, feminine voice.

For a split second, he thought it was Vivian, appearing from the shadows and coming back to see him once again... But his senses told him otherwise. The Shadow Siren didn't have a sly voice and the hands were too small to be hers. Raising an eyebrow, he made a guess.

"Ms. Mowz?"

She removed her hands and laughed. "What gave it away?"

He smiled and turned to face her. "I have my ways."

"I'm sure you do. I've just returned from Hooktail Castle with a few more findings," she bragged, showing him several odd-looking badges. "What have you been doing lately?"

"Well, nothing really. Enjoying the quiet life, I guess."

"After going on _that_ expedition, I don't think any of us have the right to call our normal living standards hectic, am I right in saying so?"

"Yeah, I guess so..."

She cocked her head in confusion of his somber tone. "Is there something wrong? You sound... perplexed."

"Um, Ms. Mowz..." he looked at her again, seemingly desperate for a positive response. "Tell me... Have you seen Vivian lately? I know it's only been a day, but... I haven't heard anything from her. Neither has anyone else. You've been to Twilight Town, haven't you? You must've at least heard about her..."

"My sincerest apologies, but I haven't heard from her either. I feel she's gone into a reclusive state. Maybe it's better that we leave her alone for now. You know how vague she is."

"But..."

"I understand you're worried, but sometimes people need to be left alone. Like you said, it's only been a day; just give her a while. Why, I bet she's at home right now, teaching her sisters a well-deserved lesson about how they should respect her from now on."

_Could that be possible?_ he thought. Vivian _was_ very headstrong when it came to how she wanted to be treated, even if it took some coaxing to bring out. He laughed to himself as he pictured Marilyn and Beldam wearing dunce caps with Vivian standing over them, wielding a rolled-up newspaper.

"I guess that makes sense..." he finally said.

"If you'd like, I can post a request on the Trouble Center for her when I go back to Rogueport. I'll offer some of these new badges for the reward. I'm sure something'll come up sooner or later."

He looked at her in disbelief of her offer. "Really? You'd do that... for me?"

"Of course. I always love to help allies, as my karma will be good to me someday. It's starting to get dark, so I'd better go before it's time to close up shop," she turned to leave, but not before winking. "Let us meet again soon, dear. It was wonderful to see you again."

Koops didn't have time to say goodbye before she disappeared into the nearby patches of wheat and literally vanished.

* * *

The Shadow Siren sat huddled behind a wooden near the Rogueport Inn. Looking up, she noticed it was starting to get dark and Bandits were becoming more and more common on the streets. She looked down into her almost empty bag and sighed.

_What an awful day this had been... She couldn't find any of friends... It was like the world was against her..._

Shivering as a long, cold breeze swept by, she rubbed her arms in an attempt to keep warm. She couldn't even check into the inn because some stupid thief took almost all her valuables. ...It would've been nice to see the friendly Toad innkeeper again. Vivian glanced at the building, its soft beds and warm seeming so close, yet so far away. Her mind began to wander again and she soon found her gaze drifting past the inn and resting on an overpass that lead to another store.

_Wait... Another store?_ Vivian looked again._ She'd never seen that before..._

Maybe it was another inn, or a shelter of some sort where you didn't have to pay anything for a stay. Could it even be a refuge? What if it was something dangerous, like a gang's hideout? Whether or not she wanted to take the chance of walking into danger, she had no choice at this point. It wasn't like she had had anything else to lose...

Going through the inn, she avoided the loitering customers on the first floor and went upstairs. It didn't look like the innkeeper was in at the moment; no one was up there, not even guests. Despite this, she walked through the room until she spotted a door. She opened it first, making sure the platform was steady enough to walk on and followed it until she arrived at the unknown building.

Walking inside, she saw a sparkling array of badges, both rare and common, displayed on a counter with prices labeling them. Were they being offered as souvenirs?

_"Well, good afternoon to you, little lady!"_ someone shouted.

The screaming made her hair stand on end. Out the corner of her eye, she saw that a small, yellowish rodent was the source of the noise.

_"Is there anything I could possibly help you with today?"_

Teeth gritted from the volume, she managed to ask, "Um... What is this place? Do you offer shelter here?"

_"Sorry, ma'am! I'm afraid all we do here is sell badges!"_

She heaved a sigh. So, this wasn't a shelter, just a shop for badges. _Perfect..._

Vivian was about to leave when she thought about how much the manager resembled Ms. Mowz. _Maybe he knew where she was..._ Trying to find the rodent herself never once crossed her mind, as her next appearance always seemed unpredictable.

"Uh, sir? Excuse me if I'm wrong, but do you know of someone named Ms. Mowz?"

_"Well, sure I do!"_

She winced with every syllable he bellowed. "...Is she available?"

_"Nope! I'm afraid she's out badge-hunting at the moment!"_

"Do you at least know where she went... or where you saw her last?"

_"Sorry, ma'am! I can't say I have! That Ms. Mowz! The very second she sets foot outta this store, she's off like a rocket! ZOOM! All I see is a white blur! It's like someone lit a fire under her tail and she shot off like a pistol!"_

Vivian wasn't sure if she could take much more of his screaming. Getting the point, she quickly thanked him and left in disgust. Thanks to him, she now had a splitting headache...

* * *

The stars sparkled bright and beautiful overhead; a cool breeze rushed past in a hurried whisper amongst the leaves. The nighttime air was warm and soothing, with the grass acting as a warm carpet for one to lay on and stare mindlessly into the sky in awe of its stellar beauty. The calm glowing of the moon colored everything in a soft blanket of its undisturbed silver, reflecting off a nearby lake and shining through the thick brush of Shhwonk Fortress.

Koops remembered his mother telling him how dangerous it was to set foot in the ancient forest without supervision. All children were supposed to stay away from that awful place.

He sighed. How was this place awful? Aside from a few pesky Fuzzies and nomad Koopas, the area was calm and pure, void of any artificial creations. It was like a secluded Petal Meadows... He could've stayed ther for hours, but it was getting late. It was time to go home.

He sat up fast, having to stop a moment and wait for the blood to get back to his head.

The Shadow Siren was still vividly in his mind; he just couldn't stop thinking about her. Upon returning, how much would she've changed? Would she be a whole new person? Would she be the leader, with Beldam and Marilyn following behind in shame? Would she have a complete and total makeover to where he could finally see her eyes? The very thought of her coming back with a success story to tell made him excited. He began walking home, hands still in his pockets. He continued to stare upon the ground, thinking... reflecting...

Tomorrow was another day... Another start, another chance for her to show up. She'd turn up eventually. _Just give her time..._

He smirked once more as he imagined her smacking Beldam upside the head with her newspaper weapon...

* * *

Vivian treaded through the East Side, crushed and defeated...

Desperate, she made one last attempt to seek help and posted her predicament at the Trouble Center. At the time, she hoped someone would be courteous enough to help, but the board looked pretty full. With no real reward to offer, chances were slim anyone would even try...

It was dark out. All shops and houses were closed for the night. She saw a horde of Bandits standing in an alley, showing their stealings from the day to each other. She sneered at the thought of one of them having her belongings up his long, sneaky sleeves.

The entire town of cobblestone and wood became bathed in a pale blue. The patterns and lines of the streets were more evident at this time of night. Their shadows revealed every crack, crease, and penny on the ground she passed. It was a beautiful sight to see the moon working its magic even in this barren town, but that alone did nothing to quell her pain.

_...Her spirit was broken... her body, tired... her stomach, empty..._

She couldn't take anymore disappointment. _It was so painful... Like an arrow to the heart._

It was time to face facts; Vivian knew she was never going to find any of her friends. Why even bother with it anymore? Rogueport had quickly become what she now knew Twilight Town was; a hellhole full of pain and misery with the darkness of her evitable passing slowly suffocating her will to live. No one there would help her in the least bit. All they wanted to do was break her down, kill what little strip of dignity she had left...

She'd had it with this town...

She'd had it with the people who mistreated her...

And she'd had it with being shunned just because she was different...

_That was it, the final straw..._

She slung her almost empty sack over her back and peered down the road of train tracks made for the Excess Express. They seemed to go on forever, leading into a parched, arid region and beyond. The lack of daylight made it seem more ominous and cold; like the not-too-distant abyss that was her future. There were no houses, no shelter, no people... Nothing but sand, rocks... and possibly more sand.

...But that's what she wanted; to be left alone and peacefully waste away into nothing while everybody else kept on living their lives. Her existence was no longer important to those who knew her, or else they would at _least_ check on how she was doing.

Not even Koops showed signs of sympathy... He didn't care anymore, either. She would've looked for him, but had no idea how to reach Petal Town... Village... or wherever he said he lived. After she knew Mario was fitted for Peach, her sights began to turn to the timid Koopa for his many acts of kindness. Sure, they were complete opposites as far species went, but did it really matter? He was a sweet, understanding guy who always gave her the attention she needed. Her lack of confidence often interfered on how she felt about him... But it was plain to see he had no real interest in her.

_Vivian had been forcing herself to hold them back since her items were stolen, but she couldn't hold them in anymore..._

Squeezing her eyes shut, she broke down and quietly cried. They said crying made a person feel better, but all it did was make her headache worse. She sat down, her shoulders shaking from so many crushed dreams. Her hands were dampened by the aching that was her sobs... _The ones of failure. The ones that showed she was a weakling. The ones that she'd cried into countless times before._

She swallowed hard and roughly brushed the tears away, for with her sadness came frustration. It was the worst feeling in the world; to be so sad, it actually made you angry.

_All this time, she thought they were her friends... her allies... her family..._ But once again, her simplicity had gotten the best her. For once, Beldam was right; without her or Marilyn around, there was no one to care for her. Her so-called 'friends' didn't care about what she did after their time together, as she had no life to return to and no past to look back on.

...If that were the case, she didn't even want to remain a thought in their minds. They didn't have time to remember who 'that girl' was.

She walked off into the desert, following the train tracks until she found a reason to live again...

The moon gleamed overhead, outlining her shady form in the darkness of the night. It made her appear eerily beautiful, like Shadow Sirens were meant to look. The lining of her hat shimmered a stunning ruby and silver, in response to its normal red-and-white coloring. Her hair glistened a rosy pink and her gloves also glowed silver...

The stars above twinkled serenely that night. A lone wind blew.

A light of hope died that day; its soul forever caught in the void of loneliness...

* * *

**_Authoress' Notes:_** _BLARG. All my other story updates are way late and I apologize for that. I'll see if I can get Pikario and Chuigi's lazy asses back in gear sometime this November._


	17. Fate

_**Authoress' Notes: **In response to what someone said in the Reviews, sorry if the chapters seem a bit too long. I tend to get carried away when I'm on a roll. But you're lucky in this chapter; it's a bit shorter than the last one. _

* * *

**_Better Off Alone_**

_**Chapter 17: **Fate_

* * *

_Cactus, rock, dirt, sand... Cactus, rock, dirt, sand... Cactus, rock, dirt, sand... Cactus, rock, dirt, sand... Cactus, rock, dirt, sand..._

It was like a mimicking song, slowly driving her insane. That's all she saw and that all she could make of things. Her brain was too tired to allow any thoughts aside from what her eyes told it. The bag she dared call her blanket now dragged along on the dusty earth, its stick held by a numb hand.

_It was dark now. Not just _dark_, but pitch black... _

It was that time of night where the sky was so black, it seemed void of anything but empty space. Not even the stars were out at this hour. She shivered in the dusk's cold.

Vivian stopped and looked back towards where she came from; nothing but dirt. She looked forward to where she was going; nothing but sand. At this point, she was in the middle of nowhere. Turning back would seem pointless, but she wasn't sure if she could make it any further. The cold was unbearable and time wasn't on her side... The siren never once stopped to think about how the temperature in a desert at night often dropped below freezing.

Why in the world did she run off into a _desert_, of all places? People _die_ in the desert! They go crazy and they starve! Staying in Rogueport would've been better. She didn't have any money, food, or shelter... But it was better than being the same way and miles away from civilization.

_A mixture of her stupidity and inability to cope with failure had gotten her into this mess... What an idiot she was!_

Annoyed, she slapped a small sand dune into the chilly breeze. The resulting dust cloud stung her eyes. Shaking it off, her breath materialized before her as she sighed.

Her vision slowly followed the trails of untouched dirt before her and landed on a nearby cactus. Maybe her frustration would deteriorate if she found a way to warm herself... Frantically rubbing her hands together, she pointed them at the cactus, commanding a Fiery Jinx.

...But nothing happened. It didn't burst into flames. It didn't start to smoke. There wasn't even a sparkle from her fingers! Horrified, she looked at her gloves. They'd started trembling a long time ago and continued to shake as she glared at them in desperation.

Irritated, she tossed them about to try and get one last bit of magic out of the tired, worn slaves she called her hands. But it was all for naught. The only thing Vivian seemed to do was tire herself out.

_So her pilot had gone out... That had to be the reason._ It usually did if she was too hungry, cold, or wet. Without it, she could barely make use of her fiery powers.

_Yes, fate was still out to hunt her down like the animal she was._

Rubbing her arms in an attempt to keep from freezing, Vivian trembled as she walked on through the blue sands of the night. In all reality, she was close to collapsing. Her fatigue was beginning to take its toll, occasionally causing her to lose sight of the train tracks. The cracked ground did nothing to jog her memory and looking at the sky only made her depressed...

She was so tired. _So very tired... _

_But it was too cold to go to sleep._

Trudging through cold sand had never been so hard. It was like walking in wet cement. Morning would come soon; the black sky ahead turned sapphire, a few lost stars scattered around the distant sunrise. The next day would be scorching hot, but she'd find sustenance by then. From what she didn't know, but at this point, it didn't matter.

At least _something_ kept her going...

* * *

Day in and day out, life was the same. The sun rose and set every day, over and over again. Life was slowly returning back to normal for Koops. He found himself getting used to being around his hometown again. He never knew how traveling around so much could make one so cautious about their surroundings. 

Regardless, things were going well and his somewhat boring life became a little more preoccupied. People were coming back to Petalburg after hearing of Hooktail's defeat, making the small town full of new activity.

He met new friends and neighbors every day, drastically changing his reputation as a quiet Koopa. He had Mario and the Crystal Stars to thank for that. Out of all the dangerous, life-risking stunts he could be doing out there, he instead lived in a nice, little town where the worst crime committed was by a kid taking candy from the shop.

The daily routine made him feel even more at home. Running errands for neighbors, chatting with other Koopas he'd known since childhood, spending some much-needed time with his father... Nothing strange ever happened; life was calm, quiet, and mellow. Everything was so carefree and simple, but there was still a problem.

Although content, he felt empty. Like something was missing...

Of course, his dad and Koopie Koo were there to support him and he had a vote of confidence from the town, but that wasn't good enough.

He didn't know what it was or why he felt this way. When things slowed down a bit, he was given time to feel lonely. And every time this feeling of remorse swept over him, it was always for something Petalburg couldn't cure...

His longing for Vivian.

Countless times he'd told himself to let it go; it was unhealthy to keep thinking about her this way. Maybe it was because she was a Shadow _Siren_, and in the time he spent with her, he'd fallen under some kind of spell...

It made enough sense, but these feelings he had were deep and heartfelt. They were personal and... loving. No matter how strong a spell was, it couldn't mimic the passionhe felt for Vivian. He couldn't even begin to count the number of times he'd blushed in public, thinking about her. Not only was such a random thing odd, but somewhat offensive to a few residents.

But that wasn't the case at all. What was wrong with thinking about the cute way she poked her lips out whenever she wanted attention... and the way she twiddled her thumbs when she was nervous... or that adorable little walk?

...He mentally hit himself. _What was he thinking? _He was back home now and had to forget about those feelings. Vivian was his friend, not a lover. No matter how much he admired her, the two couldn't be together. Koopas went with Koopas and Goombas went with Goombas; that's just the way things were.

It wasn't like he was moping over her, but he _was_ in a slump. While on their journey, he did have a _thing_ for the pink-haired partner.

...Just a _thing_, though.

_But many _things

* * *

He was about to delve even deeper into his thoughts for more answers before a knock came at the door. It was Koopie Koo. 

"Hey Koops," she tentatively greeted. "What're you doing?"

He shrugged. "Nothing much, I guess."

She sat on the bed. "Well, I was thinking... Do you think we could, you know, go out tonight? Maybe have a bite to eat?"

He sat up, surprised by her question. "What?"

She smiled, playing with her hair nonchalantly. "I mean, it's been forever since I left town, with you being gone and all. I was thinking we pay a visit to Rogueport. Please?"

Koops tried not to frown, forcing a smile instead. "Well... why would you want to go there? It's not exactly paradise, you know."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't visit. Plus, I heard the crime is slowing down. Other than the scenery, it's actually becoming a pretty nice place."

Regardless, he still didn't find himself warming up to the idea. Although going out with Koopie Koo solved his problem of being bored, he couldn't help but feel it'd prove a big waste of time. He tried to make up an excuse as to why it was in their best interest to stay home, but she pouted.

"Oh, but... Come on. It's late, we've gotten all the chores done, and your father is off talking to the mayor. It's a nice night out and there's nothing else to do around here. I think we deserve a little break, don't you?"

He sighed. "Sorry. I'm just... I just don't think we should..."

She gave him a quizzical look. "Koops, what's wrong with you? Ever since you came back home, you've been acting... different."

Realizing her suspicions, he forced a harder grin. "Nothing's wrong. Really..."

_She wouldn't understand. No, she'd only take it the wrong way. He was lying to her face and she probably knew it. But Koopie Koo would never understand the stress he was going through..._

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. I've just..." he quickly thought up a lie. "I've been having a little headache lately. You know, saving the world'll do that to you..."

"Really?" She checked his temperature. "Well, you do have a little fever... In that case, then you take it easy. We can go out some other time, okay?"

He faked another smile. "Okay."

Watching her leave, he sighed again. All this lying really _was_ staring to give him a headache. He checked to see the time, curious of Koopie Koo's inquiry. The bedside clock read 8:30; not too late to go anywhere. If Koopley was Kroop's house, he wouldn't be back for another hour because of the mayor's ramblings. It'd be a bit longer before dinner got started.

Flopping back onto the bed again, his gaze eventually found itself glued to the ceiling once more as his mind drifted. Looking forward to dinner made him wonder about what kind of meal Vivian was eating right now...

* * *

Riverside Station, the checkpoint for the Excess Express. It was a barren, run-down train station, probably made over 100 years ago. Located in the middle of nowhere, life had left its sand-ridden walls long before anyone of today's age had been born. But she would've been able to see it built... 

She arrived at the station in one piece after nearly freezing to death in the desert one night. It wasn't the best thing, but was a lucky break, as she'd forgotten its existence. It was uninhabited, desolate, and quiet; no one would even think to bother her out here. And for a short while, Vivian thought she'd finally found shelter in this raggedy, old building.

But there was a thin line between shelter and a torture chamber.

The nights were cold, the days were hot, and the terrain was none too friendly. Sleeping was next to impossible, as roaches and spiders often found solitude in her hat. The floor was too dirty and the benches had splinters and rusty nails jutting through it. Every waking minute she spent in a disturbing silence, accompanied only by the occasional squeaking of several old-fashioned lights hanging from the ceiling. Despite all this, she still called it home. There was nowhere else to go.

_...Had it been days, weeks, months since she last saw Rogueport? Why bother? Time no longer had meaning to her. As far as she was concerned, time was merely taunting her by allowing her to live that much longer._

Several times before, she tried searching for nourishment, but never made it very far. Outside the back door lived a horde of Poison Pokeys, who deliberately tried to attack each time they saw her. In a room located upstairs, there was a gang of Ruff Puffs who seemed really aggressive.

At this point, she was too weak to fight for any rights to owning territory. By living here, she was under the mercy of all other inhabitants. She sometimes left the Riverside Station altogether to forage for food outside, but to no avail. Due to the harsh climate, there was an even less chance of finding anything edible. The handful of Dried Shrooms she managed to dig up were barely enough to keep her alive.

She'd lost what little weight she had now appeared scraggly and sick, not to mention she was covered in dirt and there was no water around to wash with. The heat was unbearable, the cold was agonizing, and the solitude was slowly driving her crazy. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, each day proved her wrong.

* * *

On this particularly cold evening, she sat on an old bench, thinking, reflecting... mourning. There wasn't much else to do in the middle of nowhere. Her concentration on the ugliness of the floor was suddenly interrupted by a horn tooting loudly outside, announcing the arrival of the Excess Express. The train stopped by once nearly everyday, allowing its passengers some time to take a break while it was refueled. 

She glanced outside a window to see the people lounging and chatting to another. Sighing, she sunk down in the wooden bench below the pane. Being lonely was nothing new, but seeing others enjoy it so much made her realize how depressing it was. Approaching them was out of the question; they'd probably think she was a monster.

_Thinking about that made her want to cry, but she was too tired to even make tears._

After a few minutes, everything was ready to go and passengers happily boarded. The horn tooted again and the train quickly chugged away, not to be seen again for another twelve hours, at the most. She exited the station and watched it speed away, disappointed they couldn't take her with them.

She shivered. It was starting to get chilly out. Every day, the sun made it steaming hot inside the station, and when it went down, finding warmth was next to impossible. The sky was already becoming a cool purple, signifying nighttime was fast approaching.

She looked right, in the sunset's direction, thinking of how long and cold the trek had been from Rogueport. Then she looked left, towards the violet sky of Poshley Heights... and miles and miles of desert. She sighed. _How did she get herself into these things?_

Going back inside, she curled up and flopped down on the floor. When the sun set, she went to sleep; it was the best way to avoid feeling cold. Laying there, holding a wrinkled, dirty hat to her chest, her emotionless eyes focused on a rotting Dried Shroom under a bench across the room. She found it several days ago, but it didn't look too appetizing and smelled even worse. She remembered throwing it down in disgust and searching for something more edible. Since then, she only found two other Dried Shrooms to support herself, one of them half-eaten.

...It finally dawned on her that she was only trying to kid herself with such harsh conditions. Countless times before, she told herself that the station was a perfect place to call home.

_It was remote, abandoned, and far away. She only had to worry about herself and food wasn't... _that_ scarce. The Ruff Puffs and Poison Pokeys would eventually warm up to her. She'd live off the land and would never socialize with anyone again. _

Obviously in denial, she refused to accept that staying would only end in her untimely demise. Fortunately, as deluded and depressed as she was, Vivian still had her common sense. Things had only gone from bad to worse since the first night and she couldn't bear to stay any longer...

There was only so much she could take, and this--this **_sickening,_** **_putrid, revolting_** Dried Shroom, festering with white, puffy mold from weeks of expiration--was the last straw. It made her sick just **_looking_** at it. She scowled, not only disgusted, but annoyed at low she'd allow her stature to fall.

As she lay there, huddled up in a ball, she began thinking about Beldam laughing at how pathetic she was. She always said how she nothing but a waste of air and food, and with no help from her or Marilyn, was she right? After all those years of jeering and taunting, had her harassing only proved how much of a **_no-good,_** **_spineless, scatterbrained_** coward she was?

A shattered bench quickly answered that question.

In the blink of an eye, she'd crossed the room and broken the bench in two, thinking it was Beldam. When she realized it wasn't, she wished it was.

Everyone had their limit and Vivian had gone past hers a long time ago. Lack of self-esteem may've discouraged her, but that burning flame of ambition was starting to kick in again. Tending to her sore hand, she stared at the split seat in confusion. She was starting to calm down a little, but still...

_Did she really do that?_ _It all happened so fast..._ She looked down at her splintered glove. _That fit of rage... That wasn't her._

Even though she felt like it for a split second, there was no way she could cut straight through wood like that. Marilyn could easily do it with sheer strength and Beldam had her spells, but she lacked them both...

There was no doubt about it; being alone for so long was starting to drive her insane. Whether or not that was the case, she had to leave. Poshley Heights wasn't that far away. If she made it here, she could make it all the way. By now, the moon was right by the window, the freezing night air hitting her like a cold shower.

But that didn't matter; her mind was made up. She grabbed her bag and left without a second thought, wanting to get away from that place as soon as possible. Looking back one last time at her shelter for an undetermined amount of time, she sallied forth into the desert once more. Vivian had to admit she was leaving purely on an impulse, but it was either that or leave tired, cold, and hungry. She felt none of these hindrances at the moment.

A small figure sat on the station's rooftop, watching from afar. "The time will come, Vivian. Your suffering will be over soon. But you have to keep going for as long as you can. Show the Crystal Stars how strong your will _really_ is..."

* * *

Mornings came, evenings lingered, and nights went. As far as Koops was concerned, life was no longer enjoyable. Without a purpose, it was only a period of time that had no real meaning. It was like reading a book, but unable to finish because of missing pages. 

He tried his best to live on normally, but he couldn't help it. His sixth sense only became stronger by the day. Even though Mario was gone, the journey hadn't ended...

_There was still something that had to be rectified, but _what_? The Shadow Queen had been defeated, but he still felt that eerie aura she emitted during battle. He could feel her cold, dark mist hanging around, ready to strike when least expected._

Things just weren't the same in Petalburg anymore. It was like, upon his return, he should've brought something back; acquired some sort of entity...

None of the others seemed to understand what he meant. The ones he could get in touch with always thought he was only being paranoid. Apparently, they didn't have that same sinking feeling.

Goombella had come back from her 'field trip', but continued traveled around nearby places to study Rogueport's history. Flurrie was still on her tour, the play nearing its completion. News of her comeback to the stage seemed to be on everybody's lips. Waffles' fights in the Glitz Pit were broadcast several times on TV, attracting a loyal fan base. Bobbery was still adrift in the sea with his crew somewhere. Ms. Mowz kept her badge shop running, but was never around when anyone needed her. She did occasionally give Goombella odd badge specimens she found while hunting. The two had really become close friends in the past few weeks. Koops figured Goombella's animosity towards her had something to do with Mario.

And Vivian... was still nowhere to be found. As if his conscience wasn't bugging him enough, he also had to worry about her...

_Why hadn't she called? Why hadn't she written a letter? Why hadn't anybody seen her? It was like she'd disappeared off the face of the planet. _

Some of his friends had called him in concern for the Shadow Siren, usually wanting to know if he'd seen her. But each time one called, he always had to say, "Sorry, I haven't seen her," or "No, I don't know where she is."

It was natural to give her a bit of time alone. She needed to unwind and get her life back on track. Yes, that was understandable...

_But three weeks? **Three** weeks? Could it really take someone **three weeks** to get themselves together, when everyone else took nearly two days?_

_Something was wrong. Terribly wrong..._

By now, Koopie Koo knew about Vivian's disappearance, learning about it from Goombella when she came to visit one day. But it was _all _she knew and all she _needed_ to know.

As far as she was concerned, Vivian had no real importance to Koops and he was just being a worrywart as usual. Koopley had been lost on the whole story and didn't bother question it any further.

* * *

On one bright, sunny day, Koops walked into the kitchen feeling the total opposite. He sat down as Koopie Koo washed dishes. She acknowledged him with a greeting and he replied with a faint, uninterested one. 

She looked at him plaintively, then smiled. "Koops, I think that's very sweet that you're worried about one of your friends, but you really need to stop moping around like this; it's bad for your health. If you're so worried about Vivian, why not go look for her? You know where she lives, right?"

_He could've do that, he should've done that... but he didn't. There was no telling where she was at this point. He didn't think Vivian would stay in Twilight Town for this long. Even so, he hated that place. What if he went to look for Vivian there and never returned?_

He shook his head. "...I can't. I really don't know where she is right now."

"You act like you have something against her... A grudge, or something. Did she do anything to you?"

"No, it's nothing like that..."

"What is it, then? Who is she, exactly?" She gave him an odd look. "Why won't you tell me anything about her?"

_Koops found it hard to just _tell_ her about the Shadow Siren. Doing that was impossible. He couldn't describe Vivian in any amount of words; no one could. The only true way to_ _know Vivian was to see her, talk to her, listen to her, watch her, admire her, respect her... That was the only way one could truly understand the little oddity._

In response to her question, he said nothing.

Koopie Koo frowned and went back to washing. "I'm beginning to worry about you."

"Why?"

"I don't know. You just seem a little... out of it lately. It wasn't a big deal at first, but now you're acting like a zombie."

"What do you mean?"

"I think there's more going on than you want me to know. Something's up..."

Koopie Koo was starting to get suspicious. It was no wonder; he'd been a little cold towards her lately. But it wasn't like he was trying to. He still considered her to be a friend...

_And that was it? Just a friend? Why wasn't she his _girl_friend anymore? How come their relationship was no longer the talk of the town? And why hadn't he been discussing his future role of mayor with her?_

_Because of her. That other girl. The one who was unlike any other girl in the entire town. Literally. _

Koops wanted to talk to _her_. He wanted_ their_ relationship to be the talk of the town. He wanted to discuss his life with_ her_... But he couldn't tell Koopie Koo that.

"Nothing's up. I'm only worried about Vivian because she has some... issues."

"Issues?"

Realizing that wasn't the best thing to say, he digressed. "When you see her, you'll have second thoughts. She's a little shy, but very friendly."

She turned with a knowing smile. "Kinda like you?"

Her analogy caught him off-guard. "I... guess you could say that."

Her smile grew wider. "Well, I can't wait to meet her. By the way you described her, she seems like an interesting person."

_Oh, if only she knew._ He turned away with a blush.

* * *

Lack of trees and sparse vegetation intensified the torrid weather, making it unbearable for all who didn't come prepared. The air trembled with heat as it mixed the pale, blue sky with the golden earth roasting below. It stretched on for miles, this barren wasteland of no water or shelter. Few people came by and even fewer actually made it to their destination. Most took the Excess Express, which was specifically made to bypass the arid region. 

...But there were those who were less fortunate and took the badlands' route. The bones of earlier nomads bleached in the sun, warning others of their fate. Despite this, the desert had claimed yet another victim, one who didn't deserve something so harsh.

A long, dragging trail in the sand marked the individual's travels. It began from the Riverside Station... and ended in the middle of nowhere, as she could go no further. Nearly 50 miles away from Poshley Heights, the closet source of civilization, she'd collapsed from starvation, or possibly dehydration in the sun.

Vivian knew she was done for. From the weak, trembling steps to her last crawl through the scorching sand, she knew. She now lay on the ground, writhing in pain, but unable to do much about it. Try as she might, she just couldn't pull herself from the rough ground cutting into her tender underbelly.

_But the itching... The scratching... The burning... The stinging..._

She fell over again after another halfhearted attempt of getting up, this time, choosing to stay down. Death was imminent at this point. Thinking otherwise would only prove the heat was making her hallucinate.

It seemed unrealistic; to know you were dying, but chose to accept it so calmly. It would've come for her eventually... It was all a matter of time. She turend on her side, vision crooked in front of her. Vivian didn't regret death itself... She regretted all the things she'd never had a chance to do.

_If only she could start over..._ _Be reborn, but with her past experiences._ Life would be so much better, so much smoother, without as many mistakes or sorrows. But while some people were on the top of the world, their heads in the clouds, she'd been thrown a shameful, pitiful life to live out in misery and die the same way. Fate was a cruel, cruel thing.

She'd never see any of her friends again... They were such a good bunch, a real blessing if she ever had one. She loved them all like the family she never really had. Goombella was like a sister, with Waffles being a distant cousin with a strange sense of humor. Bobbery acted like a grandfather and Ms. Mowz was always the weird one who probably wasn't that weird at all. Mario had excellent leadership and great confidence, while Flurrie assumed the role of a pompous aunt.

_And Koops? The one she thought had a cute name? What about him?_

The way she felt about him was indescribable. He was a sweet, gentle Koopa, able to relate with her on so many things. His kindness made her feel a little attracted to him. He seemed interested in _her_...

At first, she thought he was only faking; trying to get her guard down so he could take advantage of her. She soon realized he really was trying to be a friend, as were the others. But having a feeling he wouldn't be the first to break the ice, she decided to turn on the charm that Shadow Sirens were famous for. Unfortunately, it didn't work. If anything, it probably made things worse. She flirted with him almost every change she got, yet he never seemed to notice. Well, he did sometimes, but it would come and go. His feelings toward her were vague and unreadable.

In all honesty, she wasn't sure if she really loved him or not. Love was such a fickle thing, always changing and hurting those who didn't know how to handle it. Too many times had her heart been broken by nameless strangers. And each time, she promised to be wiser the next time around. Her innocence was probably the only thing she still had of value.

_But it didn't matter now..._ She squinted and coughed up sand. _She was so tired..._

She lay there in a delusional daze, her life practically flashing before her eyes. She'd seen and heard so many things in her existence, but never had the chance to understand them all. Her life's history was a like a paranormal dream that went on forever, faint memories appearing here and there. A day could last a week, a week could last a year, and years were too long to measure in the length of time. When you lived over a millennia, life often seemed too tedious to value.

Taking one last breath, she buried her face in her hat, shielding it from the sun.

Her tale of sadness and sorrow wouldn't end half as well as she thought. From all the fairy tales Lillian used to read, sad people usually had happy endings. Hers was most likely an exception.

It was the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness...

...A hot breeze blew, sending streams of sand across the dry ground, shifting as the wind came and went. It wouldn't be long before her cadaver was no more and no one would ever find out what happened to the innocent, little girl they knew as Vivian. Like her ancestors, her very being would disappear into nothingness, swallowed by her own guilt and misfortune. She would remain as a memory in everyone's mind; a myth that people would realize was real far after it was too late.

The same caped figure from before suddenly appeared, easily withstanding the blistering heat like a true wanderer. She casually walked until she came upon the fallen Shadow Siren. She studied her from every angle, sniffing and examining her body. The figure then removed the cape's folds from her face, revealing it to be Ms. Mowz. She gently picked up a limp arm and shook her head.

"Oh, poor Vivian. How could such a little sweetheart end up in this horrid place, facedown in the sand? It doesn't fit you. No, not at all."

She threw the small cape over Vivian's face, adding extra protection from the sun.

"It's been a long time coming, but your trials are finally over. You've proven yourself worthy, like I knew you would." She adjusted her mask and nodded. "I think it's time you had some help..."

* * *

Morning came once again. The sun poured through the window, bringing daylight with its soft rays like it did every day. The town was barely stirring at this hour. 

Koops was up; he wasn't fully awake, but he was up. He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling like he did every chance he got, thinking of her.

_That odd girl. The one who was so innocent and sweet._

Vivian... It was a beautiful name. Whoever gave it to her had great taste. It was basically meant for someone who was lively, vivid, bright, and colorful. It fit her so perfectly, it was like that name was made for her. He loved the way it sounded whenever it was said. It made him feel happy when he _thought_ about it.

He could go on forever with every bit of the Shadow Siren he liked: her hair, her intriguing appearance, her beautiful voice, her placid attitude, the way she wore her hat, her cute, little hands... He blushed.

_She really did have cute hands..._ He fondled his wrist, remembering how small they were.

As much as he wanted to sit around and think about her some more, he had to get up. It was a quiet morning, but he'd have to start working soon. Kroop wanted him to help with transporting some goods to the shop. Then he planned on going over to an old friend's house for a visit. Afterwards would be father/son time in Petal Meadows. That was basically what the day would bring... That and no Vivian to offer dinner to.

He decided to go downstairs and see if anyone was up before taking a shower. Just as he got to the stairs' bottom, Koopie Koo appeared from the kitchen, a perky smile on her face.

"Morning, Koops. I--" She stopped. "Why are you blushing?"

"...Blushing?" Koops was dumbstruck. Quickly, he looked away. "I-I'm not blushing..."

Koopie Koo pulled him closed and grinned. "Yes, you are. You're redder than a Fire Flower!"

"No... I-I'm not... It's not what you think..." he stuttered, his mind fearing she'd say something about Vivian, only because he was thinking about her.

"Is it because of this?" She drew his attention to the smiling flower apron she wore. "I bet I look like a stay-at-home mom, don't I?"

"Yeah!" he abruptly blurted out, glad she received that as an answer. "Yeah, that's why..."

She smiled and walked back to the kitchen. "Oh, I'm only joking anyway. But thanks for the compliment. Now hurry and wash up, I'm in a good mood this morning, so I'm making a big breakfast."

He yawned. "Where'd Dad go?"

"He went to Kroop's house again," she giggled. "I don't think he finished lecturing to him last night."

"Again? If he keeps going over there, he's going to turn into him, then _I'll _have to hear it..."

"Well, he_ is_ the mayor."

"But that doesn't mean I have to listen him talk about how many Turtley Leaves to put in Koopa Tea."

"Don't worry about it. He wo--" She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes fixated on the window above the sink.

Koops saw this and frowned, also looking outside. "What? What is it?"

"Koops... What's going on out there?"

There was a small mass of townspeople gathering around the gate leading from Petal Meadows. Koopley had been walking in that direction when a Toad ran over from the crowd and pulled him over. He seemed very urgent about whatever it was, pointing and talking in silence through the window pane.

She looked at him. "You think something's wrong?"

"I don't know. Maybe something bad happened."

"Bad? Like... like what?"

"I'll go look."

He went out the front door, intrigued by the matter at hand. Finally, something _interesting_ was happening in Petalburg. Maybe this was just what he needed to pull himself out of such a mental slump.

* * *

Koopley stood outside the crowd, confused from whatever everyone was looking at. It was almost like he was afraid to look. Other residents, either inside their homes or working in their gardens were also curious. Their eyes asked questions, but their bodies were too afraid to find any answers. Even Kroop was at the scene; that meant it had to be something serious. 

"Dad," Koops frowned as he approached him. "What's going on? What's everybody staring at?"

Koopley scratched his head. "I'm not really sure myself. The details are fuzzy. All I know is... someone leaving town claimed they ran across a body lying by the river..."

His eyes went wide. "A body?"

_A body? An actual** dead** person? Here? In Petalburg, of all places? ...Impossible. _

_If there was a dead person to be found, it had to at least be in Rogueport. Petalburg was a clean, pure town. No murder crimes should take place there... _

"Do you think they're actually dead? Maybe they're unconscious."

"I dunno. Maybe it's best if you went back home with Koopie Koo. It seems a bit... graphic."

He frowned. "...Graphic?"

At that moment, he turned to the sound of several townspeople talking to one another. Amongst their conversations, he heard things like "outsider", "strange one", and "not a Koopa"... Who was this outsider? Why was it a strange one? What wasn't it a Koopa?

"What a shame..." said a Toad, as he shook his head. "She looked like a real nice girl, too."

"...Are you even sure it's a girl?" asked a Koopa.

"Of course it is! Just look at that hair!" pointed a female Toad. "Whatever it was, this was definitely a female."

Ignoring Koopley's request, Koops walked around the cluster of neighbors and friends, trying to find out what was going on. He finally came across a small opening in the crowd and proceeded to look through. Nothing in the world could've prepared him for the sight he was about to see...

Her hair was completely mangled, full of dirt and sand. She lay unmoving on the ground, not even breathing. Her figure, it was cadaverous... She was so thin, so malnourished. There were deep gashes scattered all over her body, revealing reddened insides. Sand was well-engraved into the wounds, some looking infected, while others leaked with dried blood.

_She was barely recognizable, but it was her..._

"...Vivian?"

"You know this girl?" asked a Toad.

His face was blank with unbelievable horror. "Yes... I do..."

"Who is it, exactly?" asked someone else. Koops didn't know or care who.

"...Her name's Vivian. She was a... friend..."

He heard the citizens talking even more now, surprised at this sudden sympathy for a girl no one'd ever seen before.

"Oh, so _that's_ the Vivian you were talking about?" came Kroop's voice. "Er, sort of an odd one..."

At that point, the crowd began to fret over this strange being dumped into their town in such poor health. They voiced their panicked opinions with gusto.

"Who could've done such a thing?"

"Maybe this is an omen!"

"What is she, anyway?"

"We should lock our doors!"

Koopley held his arms up for attention. "Now, calm down, everyone. While this may be a little... strange, we don't need to jump to conclusions. I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding..."

"There's been a murder in town! How can you call that a misunderstanding?" demanded someone.

"For all we know, this could be a warning to us all!" shouted another.

"...Well, we just can't leave her here," Kroop called some Koopas over. "You two, you're the ones who found her, right?"

"Yeah," shrugged one. "I was on my way to Rogueport and she was just... there."

The other frowned. "You're not thinking we had anything to do with this, are you?"

"You're getting ahead of yourselves. I never said that."

"I think it's best if everyone kept an eye out for anything suspicious and not leave town until we figure out what's going on," announced Koopley.

"As for you two," Kroops pointed his cane at the pair. "I'd like you to bring her to my house so we can get to the bottom of this."

The Koopas didn't look to thrilled having to carry this... thing to Kroop's, but they were considered suspects, and refusing to obey would only make them look bad. While the two Koopas pondered over Vivian's corpse, a Toad began breaking up the crowd and sending everyone home.

And everyone did go home. As far as they were concerned, thatthing was only a sign of bad luck; a harbinger, an omen of death. They didn't know how beautiful she was. They didn't understand how graceful she could be. They didn't care who this girl was...

"Koops?" Koopley placed a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

_No, he wasn't okay. He was far from it. His hope of seeing Vivian's happy face one last time shattered into a thousand pieces before his very eyes. It was like seeing his mother carried away all those years ago. A sword to the stomach wouldn't even come close to the emotional pain that pierced through his broken heart... _

"...Koops?" His father's voice seemed to fade in and out. "You said she was a friend of yours? ...She was that girl, right?"

He nodded.

"Oh... Well, I'm really sorry about this. ...I understand if you want to be... alone."

He nodded again and Koopley stopped talking, which meant he probably left.

_After all this time of being in denial, he realized he didn't just like Vivian; he loved her._

_...But why didn't he tell her when he had the chance? When she gave him that hug, he could've whispered it to her and she could've died knowing she was loved. That would've been her last thought; that comforting thing to know in her final moments... _

A lone tear dotted the ground, insignificant to all but the little, innocent girl whom everyone took advantage of...

That tear was for her.

* * *

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ The climax is coming soon, but you'll have to endure a long, rural life before we get there. Don't worry; it's all good._


	18. Miracle

**_Authoress' Notes:_** _To avoid criticism, I'll say this:** "PM2"** is a game of oversimplified places, buildings, and people! Just because Kroop's house in the game only has one room doesn't mean it really only has one room! Therefore, I shall improvise as needed. Thank you. _

* * *

**_Better Off Alone_**

**_Chapter 18:_**_ Miracle _

* * *

_...So this was how it felt? How it felt to lose a loved one all over again? _

_To have someone die before they knew one last thing that could've made their passing a lot easier? _

_The pain of his mother would always stay with him, but to have Vivian die... That just wasn't fair. _

_If only he could do it all over again. If only he had the nerve to go search for her in the first place, this wouldn't have happened... _

He always favored Vivian over everyone else on the team, as she wasn't your run-of-the-mill type of girl. Whenever she was around, he noticed some people would tend to stare at her. He figured she knew this as well, but what could she do about her looks? Not only was she "different", but seemed troubled, misguided, confused, and somewhat disturbed. Each one of those problems made him more attracted to her for some reason. The details of her past seemed traumatizing, yet he wanted to learn more.

His fondest memory of her was in Boggly Woods. He remembered like it was yesterday how he, Mario, and Goombella were following a Puni to the Great Boggly Tree to help his captured family. On the way, they passed the trio of Shadow Sirens, who Goombella said to ignore because they looked shady.

He assumed they were merely odd-looking witches who resided in the pale foliage with the other weird inhabitants, but something about the red one sparked his interest. She looked so sad... almost to the point of tears. With six more Crystal Stars to collect, he knew their adventure would be a colossal one, full of surprise, action, and suspense. Her entire back-story might've been just that...

When they returned to search for Flurrie's necklace, they instead found themselves in a fight with the trio. All three were quickly trounced and the older two ran away, leaving the necklace and their sister behind. She stumbled over a tree root while fleeing and tried to grab it, but was literally paralyzed with fear. One last horrified look at them showed a tear running down her face as she scrambled to get away. Koops had to admit he felt a little sorry for her.

He always thought his first, _first_ liking of Vivian was simply pity and nothing more. Then that pity turned into empathy, which soon became interest, then quickly grew into affection. He asked himself over and over again, "Why do you like this girl? What does she have that you want?" Those questions still needed answers.

Imagine his surprise to see her again in Twilight Town and learn of her new allegiance to Mario. The others didn't seem to like her at first, but upon learning of her sad tale and honest intentions, they all felt ashamed for judging her so wrongly. Afterwards, they tried their best to handle her _very_ nicely, not because she was different, but because they wanted to rebuild her self-esteem. They treated her like a friend--No, like a family member--and in time, she began responding positively in her own little weird way.

_All she ever wanted was to be loved. _

* * *

It was a bright, beautiful day out, but he really couldn't care any less at the moment. The kitchen was warm with the early noon's sunlight, a feeling that usually left him happy and awake. Today, it only made him feel lonely. None of his friends had called lately, so no one else knew of the bad news. He didn't have the heart to tell them himself. A tear dotted the table, accompanied with a soft sniffle... 

_He'd never be able to see her smile... _

_She'd never be able to laugh... _

_And they'd never have the chance to enjoy each other's company ever again..._

She was just beginning to realize what true friendship really meant, only to have her life cut short by some freak accident. He sighed for the umpteenth time at what could've been. Her body had only been found the other day and almost everyone in town seemed to have forgotten about it. As long as its discovery didn't interfere with their lives, they couldn't be bothered to care.

Hearing footsteps from the stairs, he put his head down. He couldn't stand for other people to see him cry. Koopley walked in with the morning paper. He usually read it in the kitchen, but didn't want to disturb Koops. He casually strolled in to grab something from the fridge, but was probably using that as an excuse to check on his son.

After getting a Mushroom and some Honey Syrup, he asked, "You alright over there?"

"I'm okay," was the muffled response.

"Can't say I knew much about Vivian, but... I understand what you're going through... It's good to see you're taking it well."

_Did it really look like he was taking it well? He felt like a train wreck on the inside. Maybe his face couldn't show as much emotion..._

His father searched for something to say. "Y'know... Kroop still has her over at his house... In case you want to... pay some last respects?"

Hearing that made him flinch. He wasn't so sure he wanted to see her now. At that very moment, Kroop had her body in his house, possibly performing an investigation on it and the 'suspects' who found her. He hadn't seen him, the suspects, or her cadaver since the other day, but he assumed they were trying to clean her up for a decent burial. How they would do such a thing, he didn't know.

Regardless, Koopley was right. As soft as he was, Koops' placid attitude often helped him cope with losses. He was an optimistic sort and always figured that if something happened, it must've been for the best... No matter how much he disagreed with it.

"Is Koopie Koo up?" he asked, suddenly thinking about her.

"Not yet. You know how she always wakes up late on the weekends."

The two hadn't spoken much since that day, but Koopley told her everything. Already nauseated by Vivian's death, Koops didn't hang around for her reaction. She had to be the last person in Petalburg he felt like talking to. With so many emotions tugging at his heartstrings, he felt he'd say or do something he didn't want to. He sat up and massaged his temples, feeling a headache was starting to form.

"I'm gonna take a walk..."

Koopley pulled out some coffee. "Okay. You know I'm here if you need any help..."

Answering with a simple nod, he left the house. Outside, he sat on the stairs and surveyed the scene. It usually cleared his senses to hear the nearby babbling brook and watch the Bub-ulbs collect butterflies on their flowers. Instead, he sighed.

The townsfolk went going about their business, watering gardens, chatting, and going on leisurely strolls with one another. One of the things that made Petalburg so popular was its friendly population. This would've been the perfect place for Vivian to stay and learn from a positive environment. It'd help her regain lost confidence and feel better about herself...

_Memories of her sadness racked his brain, while recollections of her happiness made his stomach turn. He would've rather had Vivian reject him and live, not have her die and never know what might've come from their relationship..._

His wandering gaze soon set on Kroop's hideously pink house. Maybe he_ should_ go over there. He felt guilty for not wanting to see her, but was afraid of what to expect. He never got the chance to say goodbye to his mother... Why pass up the chance to say it to Vivian? It was the least he could do after being so negligent in trying to look for her.

_She would've done the same for him. _

* * *

Koops opened the door to the mayor's house and looked around for him. It wasn't before Kroop appeared from another room and realized someone was there. 

"Who's that? That blasted burglar again?" He jabbed his cane at the air. "Don't think I'll let you get away with anything, you!"

"No, sir. It's just me."

"Ah, Koops." He stopped jabbing and chuckled. "I didn't even recognize you. I swear, it seems like every other person that comes in here is looking for trouble."

"Yeah, uh..." He took a deep breath. "Kroop, I came to see... a friend."

"A friend?"

"The one you found at the entrance of town..." He paused. "She was a friend of mine. Is she...?"

"Oh. Yes, I see." Kroop nodded. "...Come with me, she's down this way."

Koops braced himself and followed the old Koopa through his and den and down a hallway. It seemed forever before the corridor's carpet ran out, leading to a small guest room in the back.

When they finally got there, the mayor turned to Koops. "I'll leave you alone for now."

"Okay. Thanks."

_There's no turning back now,_ he thought, staring at the door. _He had to get this over with._ _If he let this chance pass by, he'd never forgive himself... _

Taking a deep breath, he gripped the doorknob and opened the door, expecting the worst.

...To his surprise, the room itself was a quaint place, only having a bed, two tables, and a bureau. A window was located near the bed and another by a larger table, the smaller one closer to the bed. The place felt nice and cozy; it had the sort of welcoming feeling older people were usually accustomed to. But Koops didn't come to survey the interior. What he focused on was the person resting in bed.

Vivian was placed carefully under the covers, her head, midsection, and right arm neatly bandaged. She lay on her back, head slightly tilted away from the window on her left side. One hand rested on her chest, while the other was buried underneath the cold blanket. Streaks of morning sunlight peaked through the partly closed curtain of a window, reflecting a faint, fuchsia outline along her curvy body. As if that weren't enough, her hair was positioned in the perfect way so that it _still_ kept most of her face covered. Koops smiled sadly at the irony. He hated to admit it, but Vivian looked even more serene in death than she did alive.

There was a lone chair bedside the bed that Kroop was probably using to bandage her. He and the other two made her look nice, washing off dirt, fixing wounds, and even trimming any damaged hair. A now-cold cup of Koopa Tea sat on the nightstand for her in case she ever woke up. Her hat and gloves sat neatly on the larger table across from her. Out of curiosity, Koops walked over and fingered her hat's rim, only to sigh in disappointment. Kroop had even taken the liberty to wash and repair them to the point where they looked brand new. There was no point though, with Vivian being dead and all.

He continued feeling the unbelievably soft texture of her hat when his finger ran across a string of multiple, round things. They were hard... like beads...

Confused, he reached inside and pulled out Flurrie's beloved necklace. It was sparklingly clean, void of any grime or scratches. Amazed, he let it run over his wrists and through his fingers to get a better feel. There was no doubt about it; this was the very same necklace the actress claimed she couldn't live without.

_She kept it safe... Whatever calamity she'd been forced to endure, she kept it safe..._

_What an honorable and unselfish thing to do... She really _did_ trust them. Enough to cherish anything and everything they could've possibly given her. Even at the expense of her life..._

Beads in hand, he walked back over, heartbroken all over again. Sitting down in the chair, he looked down upon her lifeless frame through the coveted necklace. Carefully, as if not to disturb her eternal sleep, he lowered the jewelry over her head and onto her neck. Vivian deserved that thing more than anybody; it was only fair she be put to rest with it. He stared at the necklace plaintively until his tears turned it into blurry, yellow beads. _He always thought it went so well with her unique shade of skin... _

Taking one of her gloveless hands, he gently caressed it, placing her palm against his cheek. Having it rub across his face left a slight tingling sensation, like a cluster of feathers.

_It was so soft and smooth... Not a scratch on it. The fingers had an odd, yet alluring smell of cherry and singed skin about them, due to their former flammability. _

Letting a tear trickle down a finger, he placed his head on her chest and closed tear-filled eyes. He still held on tightly to her precious hand, as it gave him a sense of security. He didn't know why, but there was something soothing about it that made letting go virtually impossible...

* * *

_...What was this? This loud thumping noise...? It wasn't exactly pounding, but softer. And air? She heard air. Quiet, hissing air, like from a balloon or something..._

_It was her heartbeat and her breathing..._

**_Where was she now? Was she still in the desert...? Or had the blazing heat finally succeeded in separating her soul from her body? Was she a... ghost?_**

_Her eyes failed to work, while her body taunted her with the sensing of a changing atmosphere. People were there, then they weren't. She was sinking into sand, then lying on dirt. The settings had changed drastically from searing hot, to freezing cold, mildly windy... then still, moderate air. _

**_Was someone with her? Had she finally been put to rest? Was she in Heaven? ...Or the other place? No, not the other place. The other place was for bad people. She wasn't bad, was she?_**

Her mind was fraught with worry as the darkness began to fade, revealing a wooden ceiling above. She started calming down upon realizing it wasn't what she thought. Unfortunately, it wasn't Heaven, either.

More feeling was coming back to her body now. It told her that, instead of purgatory, she was in a nice, soft bed that smelled fresh from the wash. A pillow was fluffy on her head and there was the smell of civilization nearby. Something warm was on her chest and someone held her hand. From what she could see, it was either a Koopa or a Doogan, because of its large nose. It could've even been a yellow Yoshi.

* * *

Koops continued to lie on Vivian's chest, letting out soft, choked sobs, something he hadn't been able to do since she died. It allowed his pent-up emotions to be released without anyone interrupting with their so-called 'pity'. He didn't want his father, Kroop, Koopie Koo, or anybody else around now; he just wanted to be left alone and enjoy what could possibly be his final moments with her. Another pair of tears ran down his face, one of them falling onto her hand. 

"Vivian... I'm sorry," he whispered.

He knew she couldn't hear, but he owed her an apology... For not being there when she really needed him, and for allowing this to happen. Things could've turned out differently if only he had a little backbone and went to look for her to begin with. So what if he didn't like Twilight Town because it was creepy? He'd gladly go there a thousand times if it meant she'd come back...

With more tears burning his eyes, he nuzzled her cheek passionately, allowing a tear to run down her face. All he could do at this point was get it out of his system and try to live life for her. Although doing the latter would be a painful experience...

* * *

...Someone said her name... 

_Her name? How did they know that? Only a handful of people in this world knew her name, and most of them were dead. Maybe she really was dead and this was the entrance to the afterlife. She was almost too afraid to test her theory. _

_But she didn't want to stay like this forever, laying down on her back, not knowing if she was alive, dead, or in a dream._

"I'm so sorry..." it said again. _He_ said; it was a male. His voice was breaking and she heard him sniffle once or twice.

The way he spoke sounded so familiar. She'd heard a lot of things before, but this voice stood out among any other thing she'd ever remember hearing. It belonged to someone important, someone caring, brave, and strong. Whether she was alive or not, she would _always_ respond to that voice...

* * *

"...Koops?" 

The Koopa's eyes snapped open at the sound of his name. It was faint, but he_ knew_ he heard it. His head slowly began rising and falling in a soft rhythm on Vivian's chest.

_What? Breathing? Actual _breathing_? ...No, Vivian was gone forever; no amount of wishful thinking would ever bring her back._

His head suddenly took a sharp rise as someone coughed twice, then took a few loud gasps of air. Startled, he jumped and looked at her hard. To his surprise, he noticed Vivian's posture had changed direction. From where he sat, she was practically 'looking' at him...

She smiled weakly. "Hi."

"...Vivian?"

_Could it be...? Was it true? No, he must've been dreaming! It wasn't possible!_

_It was like something out of a romance novel; the one where a happy ending came from a sad one! He wanted to pinch himself and wake up from this awful nightmare, teasing him with how realistic it was! But something told him this was the real thing... Then again, nightmares often did that._

He was literally speechless until Vivian yawned, bringing him back to reality._ If he wasn't hallucinating..._

"Is this a dream?" she asked. Her voice was a weak whisper as she spoke. It faded in and out like a flickering candle.

"I really hope not," he answered, as if he were in a trance.

"...Where am I?"

"In Petalburg."

"Your hometown?"

"Yeah..."

She looked at him thoughtfully. "...Did you bring me here?"

He hesitated, surprised by the hopeful tone of her voice. "No, we found you."

_Found her?_ She frowned._ But how? She was in the middle of the desert. How could he possibly find her there? Could it've somehow been a... miracle?_

"What happened? I thought you were..." he paused, not wanting to say it. "You know..."

She made a face as she tried to think of a believable response. He certainly couldn't know about her staying out at Riverside Station all this time. It'd only raise questions she couldn't and didn't want to answer. That long, awful amount of time there was not only a period of weakness, but also a disgrace to her already low self-esteem. She wished the entire thing could've been erased from her mind.

"I don't want to talk about it..."

"Oh. Well, I'm glad you're okay..." he paused again before quietly adding, "I was worried about you."

It took a moment for that to sink in. "...You were?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I thought you forgot about me," she sighed. "Everyone else did..."

"That's not true. We've _all _been worried. The others have been calling and asking about you all over the place, but we couldn't find you anywhere. I even asked Ms. Mowz to post a flyer at the Trouble Center." Koops spoke with emphasis in his voice for the first time, as he was beginning to realize this wasn't a dream.

"You did?"

"Yeah. We thought you went back home... But, we didn't know what the deal with your sisters was. No one knew where you lived and we had no way to get in touch, so you can imagine how lost we were."

_That made perfect sense. What else were they supposed to do? While she was out rotting away in the desert, her friends were breaking their backs looking for her in more logical places. Was it really their fault none of them happened to imagine her being in the one of the bleakest areas on the continent?_

_...No, it was her fault for putting herself in that kind of a situation. For the first time since she ran away, Vivian was beginning to realize how dangerous and erratic her actions had been. Being a victim of stress often put her in the wrong place at the wrong time. How she wound up in Petalburg was still a mystery, but who ever questioned lucky breaks, anyway?_

She nodded. "I understand."

Squeezing out one last tear, he wrapped his arms around her. "I really missed you..."

Vivian closed her eyes and returned the gesture. "I missed you, too..."

It took them a few seconds before they realized what was happening, although they both enjoyed it. When it finally hit Koops, he sat up and coughed loudly. Vivian bit her lip, casually looking out the window.

After a tense silence, he turned away, a blush on his cheeks. "Um... I should probably... get you something to eat... Maybe?"

She played with her hands and responded with a slight nod. With that, Koops abruptly left, awkwardly stumbling on the way out. Seeing him do this, Vivian stifled a laugh. Turning back around, she felt some sort of collar on her neck slide along with her movements. Feeling it, she recognized it as Flurrie's necklace.

_Now, how did that get there?_ She wondered. _The last place she had it was in her hat. _

The Shadow Siren saw her accessories on another table, noticing the hat's rim was out of place. Obviously, someone had removed it. Koops was the only one there when she woke up, so... did that mean _he_ put it on?

She fingered the necklace with a blushing smile.

* * *

Koops nervously slammed the door, leaning against it with flushed cheeks. He felt like slapping himself. _What was he thinking?!_ He wanted to take full advantage of this miraculous event, but that might've gone a little too far. 

...Then again, he was happy he'd done it. He'd rather do that and be embarrassed than not at all because she was dead. Even if Vivian never wanted to see him again, he'd be happy she was okay.

Just then, Kroop appeared. "Koops, I really am sorry this happened. Is there anything I can--?"

"Kroop, about Vivian..."

"Yes, I know. It's a real shame, isn't it? I tried my best to..."

"No, she's alive!" He was teeming with excitement, accidentally saying that louder than intended.

"What?"

Embarrassed, he calmed himself down. "Uh... Well... I think she was unconscious, but I just talked to her and... she's okay."

"Really, now? Well, let me take a look at this."

Kroop opened the door to see Vivian daydreaming about something, only to flinch at his entrance.

"Eh? Hm... I must be getting old. I could've sworn she'd... er..." He scratched his head, confused. "Well, no matter. Do you think she'd fancy some Koopa Tea?"

"If you promise not to put twelve Turtley Leaves in," Koops laughed.

The mayor scoffed jokingly and retreated to the kitchen. Koops was about to follow when Vivian worriedly called him. Turning, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Where're you going?"

"I need to go out for a minute, but I'm coming back."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll bring some food if want."

_Well, she _was_ hungry... and thirsty..._

She cocked her head. "Promise?"

"I promise."

Satisfied, she watched him leave and close the door. She really wanted him to stay a little longer and talk. Being alone made her sad when she had a lot on her mind. Then again, a nap seemed right for the moment, so she yawned and squirmed uncomfortably under the sheets. Although she appreciated her treatment, the bandages made her itch like crazy. Scratching the best she could, she finally settled down and went to sleep.

* * *

Koopley raised an eyebrow. "So, she _didn't _kick the bucket?" 

Koops frowned, not liking how he phrased it. "No, she didn't. She just passed out."

"Passed out?" He laughed. "She was as dead as a doorknob last time I saw her!"

He started to say something else, but noticed his son was making a face that told him he'd said a little too much. Koopley had always been a practical guy, but Koops was easily offended and always made that face whenever his father happened to step on a nerve.

"Okay, okay. I can see I've said too much already, so I'll lay off."

"I just want you to understand that Vivian's very sensitive. Don't do anything crazy to scare her away."

He laughed. "I haven't even met the girl yet, and you're afraid I'll scare her? See, now I'll _have _to give her a little jolt to get back at you for saying that!"

Koops rolled his eyes just as Koopie Koo entered the room. "What's so funny over here?"

"It's Koops' friend," blurted Koopley. "Seems she's not exactly pushing up daisies like we thought."

"Really?" She turned to Koops, who was busy scowling at his father. "So, the girl... Vivian? She's okay?"

"Yeah. She's a little tired, but otherwise fine."

"Oh, good!" She pulled him into a hug. "It's such a relief she's doing better! I knew you were a little shook up over it, but everything seems to have worked itself out, huh?"

"I guess so..." Koops tried not to show his excitement, but after hearing that, he couldn't stop smiling.

"How's she doing? Do you think she can come over for dinner? I'd love to meet her."

"I'll have to ask her myself. I don't want to push anything."

Just then, the phone rang. Answering it, Koopie Koo handed Koops the phone. "Here, it's for you. It's that Goomba friend of yours."

_Goombella! Perfect!_ He thought. _He could finally get the word out about Vivian and everyone could finally stop searching._

He answered. "Goombella?" Upon hearing her, he smiled. "Hey, have I got a surprise for you..."

* * *

It was midday out when Kroop opened the door to Vivian's room. She looked at him out the corner of her sleepy eye, seeing him with a bag of medicine and a roll of bandages. Sitting down, he began unwrapping the old ones. 

"Time to change these things," he chuckled. "Koops would have my head if I didn't take of his little friend."

She responded with an uncertain smile, not sure of how to start up a conversation. He seemed like a nice guy, but shyness always got the best of her when meeting new people. She'd try and act politely to make a good first impression.

After a few minutes, he asked, "So, I hear your name's Vivian?"

"Yes, sir."

"That's a lovely name. I think it suits you." Finished unraveling, he threw the used bandages away and applied some medicine. She grunted as it stung her wound. He then began wrapping it with new bandages. "You're a bit of an odd sort, aren't you?"

"...Yes, sir," she answered halfheartedly.

"What are you, exactly? I've never seen your kind around here."

"A Shadow Siren."

"Ah, so _you're_ that Shadow thing Koops kept going on about." He nodded. "Why, you look just like Koops said you did, heh heh."

She perked up. "Koops talked about me?"

"Like you wouldn't believe! And if he wasn't talking about you, he sure wanted to. Never knew what the deal was, but he sure seemed serious about it."

"Really?" She smiled. "He really was...?"

Kroop stood at the sound of his whistling kettle. "Oh. Guess I should see if your Koopa Tea's ready." With that, he left, not hearing her.

She sat in silence, looking at the covers in deep thought. _Koops had been talking about her? What did he say? How did he say it? Why did he say it?_ _Who did he say it to?_ It excited her to think about it, but terrified her to find out the answer...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the smell of food and someone's presence. As she turned to face the door, Koops walked in and placed a plate of Mushrooms on the nightstand, accompanied by a tall, cold glass of milk. Vivian's mouth began to water uncontrollably at its sight. It'd been forever since her last decent meal.

"Here." Koops offered her a Mushroom. She literally snatched it from his hand and took a huge bite. "...I guess you were really hungry, huh?"

Popping the remaining bits of Mushroom in her mouth, she nodded and reached for another one. After eating three, he offered her milk. She drank the whole thing in almost two gulps.

"How're you feeling?" he asked, as she set the empty glass aside.

She made herself snug under the covers with a sigh. "Much better."

"Good." He smiled. "You're recovering fast. That's great, considering the way you were a few days ago. I bet it won't be long before you're ready to get up and go, huh?"

Vivian frowned and Koops suddenly realized his mistake. It was obvious she had nowhere_ to_ go; why else would she show up in his town, half-dead from starvation?

"Oh. I guess you don't have anywhere to stay, do you?"

"No..."

"Well, you can stay here. In Petalburg... until you find somewhere to live on your own, maybe?"

"But I can't buy a house. I don't have any money."

"Whoever said anything about buying a house?" His eyes softened. "My dad's place has an extra bedroom..."

Shocked, she looked up. "Does that mean I can stay with... you?"

"Well, yeah. Uh, I mean..." He nervously shrugged. "If you really want to."

"Okay. That'd be... nice." She smiled awkwardly, trying to hide her excitement.

"Oh. Good."

Several minutes passed before Kroop returned with two cups of tea, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I swear, you kids today do the weirdest things! I never knew staring contests would be all the rage!"

"We were only talking," said Koops, standing up. He looked at the Shadow Siren. "When do you think you'll be well enough to come over? Tomorrow? Or--"

"I think tomorrow would be fine."

"All right, then. Uh... I guess I'll see you then..."

"You're not going right now, are you?"

Koops seemed at a loss for words. "Well... you need to rest... I don't want to hang around and..."

"I'm not that tired. You can stay if you want to."

Not wanting to be rude, he sat down and forced a nervous smile. Vivian returned a real one.

"In that case, I guess I'll let you two catch up on... whatever it is you kids catch up on," shrugged Kroop as he left.

Vivian noticed how uncomfortable Koops looked, so she gently urged him with casual conversation. She inquired about Goombella and he jumped at the chance to elaborate on her recent discoveries. Then she asked what they were and he explained them the best he could. It wasn't long before the subject switched to Ms. Mowz, then Boggly Woods, fruit, and so on. Both were so enthralled with one another, they never got around to finishing their tea.

* * *

It wasn't until dark before Koops finally decided to go home. Vivian ran out of things to say a long time ago, so she wasn't against it this time. They bid their goodbyes and after saying he'd be back around noon the next day, he left. 

With him gone, she suddenly grew tired. Who knew talking about your friends could make you so sleepy? Turning off the lamp, a smooth shade of ocean blue enveloped the entire room, much to the siren's surprise. She never knew how stunning everything looked in _this_ town at night.

Curious, she opened the window and was in awe over the sapphire scenery of outside. Not a light was on in the whole town; the only movement came from twinkling stars above. The grass swayed peacefully in the wind, while blue clouds sped by. Lack of activity amid the quiet night calmed her, not to mention the moon was beautiful. She couldn't remember the last time she saw it so clearly. It always looked so eerie and discolored in Twilight Town, but here in Petalburg, it was the color of ivory, mixed in with a bit of soothing silver.

She reached for her Koopa Tea and drank, only to scowl at its suddenly tart taste. While talking to Koops, she'd allowed it to cool too much, making it cold and bitter. With a scoff, she looked at the cup in disgust until she noticed a strand of steam coming from it. Confused, she put a hand to her face, only to realize it was incredibly warm.

_Her pilot light! It'd come back on? Then that meant... _

She snapped her fingers a few times to test it, but only made sparks. It'd take some time before her powers were fully restored anyway. She took a small sip of her tea and continued gazing out at the stars. A warm breeze blew in and tickled her face. It felt so fresh and smelled very... outdoorsy. When the wind blew in Twilight Town, it always reeked of straw and made her shiver.

For the first time she could ever recall, Vivian actually felt she was getting what she deserved. She was back with her friends and everything was looking up for a change. After everything she went through, things were finally going her way. Considering the outcome, it was definitely worth it.

She took another sip. It seemed her story wasn't over just yet...

* * *

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ If you think Vivian's recovery seems to be a little **too **convenient, you'll see why later._


	19. Family

_**Authoress' Notes:** Well, here's Chapter 19, but the climax is coming soon!_

* * *

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 19:** Family_

* * *

She opened her eyes to the whiteness of a soft pillow, awakening to a soft, feathery bed. The blankets were warm with the sun from outside and her body heat. She hugged her pillow passionately, snuggling her face in its warmth. Her tail curled, pulling the sheets closer to her midsection for comfort. She stayed like this and nodded off, only to wake up again soon afterwards. 

Everything was still and quiet, not a sound in the house. Vivian stayed in her cozy position, watching microscopic dust float around in a ray of sunlight. Quickly growing bored of them, she rose from the mattress, stretching.

There were several strands of her old bandages thrown across the bed. The mayor must've changed them while she slept. She reached under the cover to feel for any remaining wounds. To her surprise, she only felt silky smooth skin; not a piece of it was out of place. No marks, scratches, or scars from yesterday... If anything, her skin was even softer than before.

This hadn't been the first time this happened. Every time she sustained a serious, even life-threatening injury, it'd be completely gone in up to two days. She never thought much of it, since it was so beneficial, but it still bothered her a little...

Carefully sliding off the mattress, she silently crept down the hallway, unsure of this strange, new environment. She walked on until she came across a weird smell. It smelled hard and robust, like some kind of energizing concoction.

She followed it to the end of the hall, peeking through a doorway with no door. It had all the distinct makings of a kitchen, possessing a stove, sink, refrigerator, and tiled floor. Her view scanned past a small window over the sink, an open cabinet, and finally came to rest on a table. Sitting at the table was the mayor and another Koop. She noticed the mayor had a steaming cup of what looked like coffee.

Almost on cue, the younger Koopa turned to see her in the doorway. "Vivian?"

"Well, look who finally decided to get up," said Kroop. "Has anyone ever said you sleep like a log?"

"...Did I sleep in too late?"

Koops shook his head. "That's not true. Ignore him." He stood to go into the other room. "I'll go get your stuff."

Kroop took a sip from his cup. "Koops has been telling me all about that crazy adventure you went on. Did you really have to fight so many bad guys and monsters?"

"Yes, sir. It was really... exhilarating," she said, awkwardly.

"Not only that, but you were along with that Murphy character..." He nodded. "The story seems even more believable with him in it. From what you folks say, he can do anything."

Koops returned from the other room with Vivian's tattered blanket, her belongings wrapped inside. "This is all you had, right?"

"Yes, that's it."

Kroop opened the door. "Well, your father should be expecting you back anytime now, so I'll guess you'll be on your way."

Vivian walked out and Koops stopped. "Thanks again for taking care of things," he said, rubbing the back of his head shamefully. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Nonsense!" he chortled. "It was a treat talking to someone new for a change. Although, it wouldn't kill her to pay me a visit sometime..."

Vivian didn't hear Koops' response, as the wonders of the outdoors completely enthralled her in its beauty. It greeted her with warm air and a gentle breeze. The grass was lush and green, with dozens of flowers sprouting all the around the houses. There was a clear, running stream under a small bridge and the sky was as clear as ever. The quaint little village looked like the pinnacle of places to live, not being too much or too little of anything.

There were even Bub-ulbs amongst the swaying flowers and fluttering butterflies. She hadn't seen any of them in years, as they only lived in the cleanest, most beneficial areas. It was all like the complete opposite of Twilight Town; a true paradise if she'd ever seen one.

"I never realized how nice this town was... I didn't even think a place like existed around here."

"There aren't many," said Koops, walking down the steps. "I guess you could say we're on the 'good side' of Rogueport. Before I met Mario, I had no idea there was such a place like Twilight Town."

Such information shocked her. "Really? ...That's strange. Twilight Town's been around for ages. I thought everyone knew about it."

"I always thought more people knew about Petalburg, but we don't get too many visitors. We're a little secluded, not to mention Hooktail gave us such a bad name..."

"That's a shame." She looked down upon the bright cobblestone path. "I'd love to live here."

"Well, now's your chance. You can stay here and maybe... catch up on things?"

She fiddled with her necklace. "So... you're sure you don't mind me staying, 'cause..."

"No, I don't mind. What kind of kind of person would I be to leave you without anywhere to go?"

That made her smile a little. Even though she knew his intentions were good, it was still nice to hear him declare them. Instead of continuing down the path, Koops made an abrupt stop next door, much to Vivian's surprise. The house seemed pretty normal on the outside, looking almost identical to every other one in town.

With several flowers decorating the side and back, it seemed like a nice place to stay. Koops peered through a small window on the door to see if anyone was home, then knocked.

"Is your family nice?" she asked, still admiring the adobe.

"Yeah, very. My dad's a little... weird, though."

"Weird? Is that a bad thing?"

"Well, I wouldn't say so, but he likes to mess around a lot. You'll get used to it."

The knob unlocked from the other side and the door opened. Koops was about to go in, but suddenly stopped, having a better idea. Instead, he opened the door further, stepping out of the way.

"Uh... Ladies first," he said, sheepishly.

It seemed to surprise her, this act of kindness. She looked at Koops, then at the open doorway, seemingly confused of his intentions.

After realizing he was serious, she stepped inside. "Oh, uh... Thank you."

_Opening the door for her? __No one _ever_ did that. S__ometimes __people even let __it close in her face on purpose. The very t__hought of it made Vivian feel__ significant. After having to deal with so many rude people in her life, it was nice to have someone show a little courtesy._

"Oh, hello there!"

Vivian suddenly snapped back to reality, this new voice unfamiliar to her. No sooner had she entered, a female Koopa appeared from another room. This caught the Shadow Siren off-guard, changing her entire outlook of the place. Koops never said anything about another Koopa, especially a _female_...

The girl held out her hand. "You must be Vivian! Nice to finally meet you!"

"Oh, yeah..." interjected Koops. "Uh... I meant to tell you, this is Koopie Koo... She's been a friend of mine since we were little kids..."

Koops felt like kicking himself. _How could he forget to mention Koopie Koo?! Of all people, she was the main one he was worried about and he actually forgot to tell Vivian about her?! Things weren't exactly getting off to a good start... _

Vivian hesitantly offered her hand, slightly annoyed at such a twist. "...Yes, it's nice to meet you, too."

"Aw, she's so polite!" squealed Koopie Koo. "I love your hair, and your hat is adorable! Ooh, and look at this beautiful necklace..." She fingered the pearls around her neck. "It's gorgeous! I sure wish _someone_ would buy me one..."

Koops didn't seem too thrilled at that remark, but decided to play along to keep from looking stupid.

"Oh, so I see _you're_ the Shadow Siren Koops was talking about," said a male Koopa, coming downstairs. He walked over to her and laughed heartily. "Why, you're a strange-looking one, aren'tcha?"

She frowned. "Thank you?"

His son shot him a stern look. "Dad, do you think you could at least introduce yourself?"

He continued laughing, shoving Koops inside. "Don't be silly! She should already know who I am! I'm the first Koopa you've should've told her about!"

"I had a feeling you were his father," she smiled, remembering what Koops'd said. "He warned me about you."

"Eh, I figured as much. He always thinks I'm such a threat to people, so he keeps telling them I'm some sort of nutcase."

"It's not my fault you don't know when to stop goofing around..." muttered Koops.

Koopie Koo rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop it, you two. You're being rude." She turned to Vivian. "They tend to get like that sometimes. Y'know, father/son stuff..."

"At least they have a good relationship with each other. I think it's sweet."

She smiled. "Oh, it is. We've always been like a big, happy family, and we've only gotten closer since Koops came back. It was so unnerving waiting for him to return..."

"I don't see why," said Koopley. "Koops is stronger than he looks, much stronger. How could you ever doubt him?"

"There's a difference between doubt and worry. I just didn't want him to get hurt, that's all."

"Koops has a way of coming back from the brink. I never once imagined him in any trouble!" He faced Vivian. "Was Koops ever any trouble for you guys?"

"Not really..." she shrugged, inching away.

_'Not really'?_ Koops couldn't help but ponder over that statement...

After the introductions, Vivian turned her attention toward the structure of the house's inside. The den was nice and wide, complete with a soft-looking couch, a coffee table, and a nice TV. There was a wide doorway leading into the kitchen and a staircase that continued on upstairs. She ventured into the kitchen, its atmosphere warm with the scent of roasted Mushrooms and fresh bread.

Afterwards, she returned to the den and sat on the couch. "Koops, I never knew your house was so... roomy."

"You like it?"

"I love it. It's beautiful. I can't thank you enough for letting stay."

"Well, what're friends for?" he said, resulting in her shyly playing with her hair. _That was a good sign; she usually did that when flattered._

Just then, Koopie Koo jumped in. "Hey, y'know what? I'm really glad Koops invited you over." She butted in-between the two, separating them. "Now that you're here, there's finally another girl in the house. I feel like I'll finally have someone else to really talk to."

"...I guess that's true," she lied, not interested.

"And since you're new here, maybe I can take you on a tour of the town and Petal Meadows, and you can meet the neighbors and--"

"Aw, she doesn't wanna see any of that stuff," laughed Koopley. "She probably just wants to go upstairs and catch up on some napping, right?"

"Well..."

"Dad, stop it. You're bothering her," groaned Koops.

"What? So now I can't ask her simple questions?"

"No, but you're asking her_ stupid_ questions, and it's a little annoying..."

"Okay, okay..." Koopley waved his hands in defense. "I'll stop. I know how you kids these days always have 'clicks' and 'stuff' to talk about and it's not cool for me to know, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. That's it..." Koops nodded, going with his assumption.

He shrugged, making his way to the door. "I guess Koopie Koo could keep you company, since she's into that sort of thing... I have to go out for dinner, anyway."

"Actually, I need to go, too," said Koopie Koo, getting up. "Kroop knows how much you like Koopa Tea, so he invited me to get some Turtley Leaves."

"Oh, and don't forget to ask him for some Horsetails! You know how they make great spices..."

With that, the two shut the door and left to go their separate ways. Koops was ecstatic, but no one could've guessed from his delayed reaction. Now that they were gone, what could he say to Vivian?

After a tense silence, she asked, "So, what do we do now?"

Koops grabbed the remote, turning on the TV. "Dinner's not for another few hours, so we'll just have to wait 'til they get back."

It was oddly silent, despite how much the two had on their minds. Vivian couldn't think of anything to say, while Koops couldn't put anything into words.

Instead, he flipped through channels, going from show to show until he got an idea. Amid the myriad of flashing pictures, he passed one channel with what looked like a political debate on it. Vivian remembered he said something about becoming mayor... Maybe she could talk about that.

"...You said you wanted to be mayor someday?"

He nodded, still flipping. "Yeah, when I get old enough."

"Is anybody going to be running against you?"

"Not that I know of. No one's really tried yet, so I'm kind of running unopposed."

"Is anyone going to vote for you or against you, or...?"

"It'd be kind of a moot point, since no one else wants to be mayor, but yeah, they do."

"...I'd vote for you."

He looked up, surprised at her sudden and honest response. Seeing his reaction, she began shifting uncomfortably._ Was she trying to hint at something?_

"I mean..._ I_ think you'd be a great mayor. You being in charge would make Petalburg a better place to live... I mean, if it's not already."

Despite her efforts to hide it, Koops could see a small smile starting to form under the shade of her hat. He decided to add to her happiness by agreeing with her.

"That'd be really great. I was hoping to get more positive feedback from you and the others."

"I was thinking that, too," she looked up, beaming. "It's great that you're thinking so positively about the future. I'd never be able to do that."

"Why?"

She laughed weakly. "I'm not good at making decisions by myself. I think I'm too easily persuaded. I'd probably have the town in ruins within a week."

"You have to stop doubting yourself. I bet you'd make a great mayor."

She shrugged with a sense of 'I don't know' in her body language. Before he had the chance to elaborate on what he meant, Koopie Koo opened the door. He immediately lost all interest in the subject.

"Hey, guys, I'm back," she chirped.

"Oh... great," replied a disappointed Koops.

"I've got about a dozen Turtley Leaves here, so I hope Vivian's got a taste for Koopa Tea!"

"Well, I actually like Koopa Tea, if it's not too hot," said the Shadow Siren.

Koops sighed and went back to watching TV, unaware that Vivian was feeling the same disappointment. It probably wasn't the best time to tell her anyway, since Koopie Koo was only going next door. He shuddered at what would've happened if she came back to catch him flirting with this strange shadow girl. No, that would've been awful, and he thanked the stars it didn't happen. Maybe he could try again later...

* * *

The rest of the day went by fast and it was dinnertime before anyone knew it. Koops wasn't sure how it'd go over with another person at the table, especially with Koopley and Koopie Koo. Vivian tried her best to exhibit good behavior at the table. Koops made sure he sat next to her, with Koopley separating him and his ex-girlfriend. The dinner was Koopasta, which was odd, since Koopie Koo rarely used any of Zess T.'s recipes. She mentioned something about trying her hand at them, but still... 

"So," said Koopley, starting on his dinner. "Where do you come from, exactly?"

"Twilight Town."

"Ah, Twilight Town. Shoulda guessed with the whole, y'know, eerie, dark complexion."

Koops sharply elbowed him, whispering, _"Stop it, Dad!"_

"I know this may sound strange to you, but why do you always wear that hat?" asked Koopie Koo. "Is there any reason, or...?"

"No," she answered quietly. "It's just... an accessory."

Koopley twisted Koopasta around his fork. "It's very becoming of you; kinda fits with your style. With so many Koopas around here, it's nice to see something different."

"Can you see from underneath it?"

"Yes."

"How?" Koopie Koo waved her hand in front of the siren's face. "I can't see your see your eyes, or anything. Koops, can you?"

"Uh, no..." he frowned, not wanting to get on the subject.

Koopley raised an eyebrow. "Do you even have any eyes?"

"Well..." Vivian shifted her hat. "I'd rather not talk about it..."

"Really? How mysterious..." Koopie Koo slurped up more Koopasta. "Is that how you, like, fake out your enemies?"

"No, it's just... me," she replied, taking a small bite of her food.

"I don't see what the big deal is; Piranha Plants don't have eyes, and they couldn't be better off."

Koopie Koo shuddered. "Ooh, don't mention those things! They're so icky and creepy, I don't even want to think about them!"

"Icky and creepy?" Koopley fingered his beard. "Hey, Viv, do any of those live in Twilight Town?"

Vivian made a disgruntled face at such a stupid question. "No, they don't live anywhere near there..."

"Really? Well, you'd think a town of perpetual darkness would be crawling with weirdoes, and Piranha Plants are just about as weird as they come! I bet we'd stand out like sore thumbs on your turf!" he laughed.

Koops massaged his head in frustration and groaned. It was going to be a _long_ dinner...

* * *

Fortunately for him, the rest of the evening wasn't that bad. Koopie Koo and Koopley did all the talking, going on about what Vivian was and where she came from. Despite his wishes, they still asked her the dumbest questions they could think of. He was practically silent through the whole thing, wishing the conversation would just end soon. Vivian wasn't saying much, either, only wanting to enjoy her food in peace. Koops ate quickly and quietly, being the first to finish and going into the den. Vivian finished soon after and put away their plates. 

Getting away from the rambling of the kitchen table, he sat on the couch and waited for Vivian to follow. He wanted to make sure she sat next to him, not Koopie Koo. If he could just have her alone for a few minutes, maybe he'd finally tell her. At this point, he didn't think he could wait any longer... As planned, she left the kitchen first.

Seeing her coming, he casually gestured to the cushion beside him. "Uh... You can sit here, if you want to."

Smiling, she took his offer and happily filled the empty spot. Combing through her hair, she commented, "That Koopasta was delicious. I almost wish you had some dessert."

"Yeah. I could go for some Choco Cake right about now."

"You, too?" she giggled. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Maybe we can make some tomorrow and have it then... to celebrate you coming over."

He could see from her expression he hit the nail on the head, as she swooned at the very idea. She responded to his suggestion by playing with her necklace and looking at him coyly. Koops wasn't sure exactly, but he could've sworn Vivian inched a little closer to him.

"Okay!" called Koopley, shattering the romantic mood. "Whose turn is it to do the dishes?"

Koops sank into the couch and grumbled. Out of all the nights it could've fallen on, it just_ had_ to be his turn tonight! Why couldn't Koopie Koo do the dishes this time? She always seemed so eager to do them every other day. He and Vivian were close friends--at least for the moment--yet everyone was so set on pulling the two apart... Could that mean something?

"I still have pruned hands from last night _and _this morning, so that means it's Koops' turn!" Koopie Koo joked, pinching his cheek as she came in. Koops used to enjoy that, but now it made him annoyed.

"Um..." Vivian raised a finger. "I could do it, if you want me to."

Koops looked at her in shock. _Offering to wash the dishes? Was she doing that for his benefit or hers? Or was it a show of gratitude? _

"Thanks for the offer, but Koops has been a little lazy as of late," Koopley snickered, giving him a noogie.

"...I'll do it for him. He could take the night off and maybe do it some other time?"

"Well... if you insist." Koopley let go of his son. "But you're washing them tomorrow."

Koops rubbed his sore head, muttering, "Yeah, fine. Whatever."

"Aw, Vivian, that's so nice of you! Doing the dishes for Koops? I hope he's nice to you like this all the time."

"Of course he is," she smiled. "Koops is a great guy. It's a plesure to know him."

"Yes, he sure does try his hardest," she smirked. "He needs a little work in some spots, but I guess nobody's perfect."

The object of their affection pouted on the other end of the couch, which made Koopie Koo laugh. He wasn't just mad at his father's embarrassing antics, but also at Koopie Koo's incessant ramblings, especially to Vivian. Sure, she may've been playing around, but she just didn't know when to stop.

He decided to ignore her, randomly flipping through channels and trying to look busy. At that moment, Vivian swiftly brushed past his view, the TV's pictures making her purple image shimmer as she made her way to the kitchen. In an instant, all of his frustration melted away, replaced with admirable wonder. She seemed to get prettier all time...

Koopie Koo snatched the remote, grinning at Koops' frowning response. "Oh, don't get all offended, now. I was only joking."

He went back to pouting. "Yeah, but did you have to do it in front of Vivian?"

"Does it really bother you that much?"

"To tell you the truth, it does. If you keep telling her stuff like that, you'll make her think I'm a dork."

She scoffed. "You're at home now. I think she understands you're not the same person out on the road."

"It's not me, it's you and Dad. You keep treating me like a baby and it's really... embarrassing."

Koopie Koo rolled her eyes and began changing channels. Switching from the Mushroom Kingdom News, a shopping network, and a travel channel with some dancing Piantas, she finally stopped on a sappy romantic movie where two Koopas were dancing at a prom.

"Now," she said, wrapping an arm around him. "Stop making that face and let's watch this together. I heard it's really good."

He sighed and sank back in the couch, stuck watching the boring movie. He really hated stuff like this, but Koopie Koo wouldn't be letting go any time soon...

* * *

The lame, overdramatic movie went on for some time before Vivian came back, wearing an apron. Both it and her hands were soaking wet, not to mention she wasn't wearing her gloves. 

Koopie Koo was the first to notice, letting go of Koops. "You're finished already?"

"Oh, uh..." She glanced back quickly at the spotless kitchen. "Yeah. There weren't that many."

"I don't think anyone's ever washed the dishes _that _fast before. Did you even use soap?"

"I liked the smell, so I used the lemon-scented kind... I hope that was okay."

"Sure, not a problem at all. That's actually my favorite kind, too."

"Oh, and um..." She began nervously playing with her hair, almost ashamed of what she'd done. "Also, the table was a little dirty, so I cleaned it. The stove had some rings and there was some coffee on the counter, so I got that, too."

Koopie Koo's mouth dropped. "Really? You did all _that_? How'd you do it so fast?"

Her answer was hesitant. "...Practice, I guess..."

"That's just too good to be true. It'd take me hours to do that!" She stood up. "I want to see it for myself."

Vivian simply shrugged and allowed Koopie Koo to visit the kitchen, somewhat glad she was gone. She spotted Koops and immediately took her seat, trying to look as innocent as possible. Although both knew she had no business sitting there, they failed to see anything wrong with it. They could've cared less as Koops grabbed the remote and turned to a comedy starring some Bandits.

"Did you really clean the entire kitchen?" he finally asked.

She nodded proudly. "It's not that hard if you have experience. I've been working in kitchens for a pretty long time."

"Really? Why?"

"It was the only way to get money. Sometimes, we had to do that so we wouldn't run out of food..."

She suddenly frowned, realizing that 'we' no longer applied to her. It felt so strange trying to explain her past experiences and not include her sisters. There wasn't one thing she could remember doing without them. According to Beldam, the only thing she could do by herself was cause trouble.

"Did your sisters ever help?"

"No, I usually had to do it myself. I was more of a distraction than anything else. They'd usually just sneak in, steal stuff, and run off once they had enough supplies."

At this point, Koops was intrigued. "Then what?"

She was about to answer when Koopie Koo came back, much to their dismay. They were both secretly wishing she'd go away a little while longer.

"I can't believe how well you did with the kitchen! Everything's so shiny and clean!" she laughed. "It's like we went out and bought a new one!"

"Well, it's the least I can do for everyone having me over."

"I think Koops could learn a thing or two from you and your cleaning skills. Have you ever brought that up?"

"It's kind of hard to keep things clean when you're traveling..." the siren responded, as-a-matter-a-factly.

"Oh, that's right! I keep forgetting you were all on that adventure thing." She sat beside her, not noticing she was now on the other edge of the couch. "I meant to ask, how is it in Twilight Town? It sounds like a really romantic getaway, but some people say it was once cursed by a monster. Which is really true?"

Koops began channel-surfing as Vivian answered more of Koopie Koo's relentless questions of what happened in the past few months. He could tell she didn't want to talk about it by the way she kept pausing and trying to get off the subject. It wasn't long before Koopie Koo did manage to stray from the story and started talking about how she always wanted to visit Glitzville, but couldn't because she was afraid of heights. He could only hope she'd eventually get tired and stop rambling on like this...

Vivian sighed. She was starting to get tired of this girl talking. She didn't mind answering questions, but she just kept coming up with new ones that made her wonder if she'd even answered the_ first_ one right. Surely she had something better to do than sit here and talk her ear off about how sweaty and smelly the Glitz Pit fighters must be. But she didn't want to be rude; as much as Vivian disliked her ongoing inquiry, she was a guest and had to act as such...

After what seemed like forever, she finally ran out of things to talk about and turned her attention to the TV. With Koopley already turning in for the night, only the three of them were left to watch sitcoms, movies, and reality shows; whatever happened to catch their undivided attention.

* * *

Koops thanked the TV in so many ways for its ability to keep others quiet. Hours passed by without a word from either Vivian or Koopie Koo; there was a change of expression every now and again, but otherwise, nothing. He was ready to switch from a commercial about the dangers of eating Yoshi eggs when Koopie Koo yawned. 

"I'm getting sleepy," she said. "And there's nothing on anymore. The last good thing went off an hour ago."

At the sound of her voice, Vivian groggily sat up. She stopped paying attention to TV hours ago, just fighting to stay awake. Exhausted, she rubbed her face and sniffled.

Koops looked at the clock, which read a quarter to midnight. "It's late anyway. Maybe we should go to bed."

"All right," yawned Koopie Koo. Getting up, she walked past Koops and motioned for a kiss. "Good night."

Pretending not to notice, he quickly stood up. "Uh... Good night. C'mon, Vivian, let me show you to your room."

"Oh... Well, okay then..." She gave him a puzzled look, sounding hurt. "I'll be up there soon..."

"Okay," Koops curtly said, going upstairs. Like the shadow she was, Vivian trailed behind him.

With each step he took, his conscience gnawed at him from how he brushed off the other girl...

_How could you do such a thing?_ it growled. _Treating her that way and she's actually being nice to Vivian? You should be ashamed of yourself! You're supposed to let her down gently, not toss her aside like a Dried Shroom! Some friend you are!_

Regardless, he continued pushing upstairs and focusing on Vivian, who followed him like a lost puppy. She needed even more attention if she was _that _uncertain of herself. Koopie Koo would survive the night, and he'd apologize tomorrow... If it was that big of a deal.

* * *

Up on the second floor, there were several doors in the narrow corridor. There was a bathroom, a closet, and a couple of empty bedrooms. All were slightly opened, except for one at the end of the hall, which was Koopley's room. Koops walked over to a pair of doors in the hallway's middle. 

"This is my room," he said, opening the door.

Vivian peered inside, thinking it looked pretty organized for someone his age. Everything was in place and the bed was neatly made. Even if Koopie Koo had cleaned it up before, at least he kept it that way.

He opened the second one. "And this is yours. See? It's right next to mine. I thought you'd like that."

And she did. She liked it a lot. Of course, she wouldn't express it through anything more than a shy smile. The room was neat and clean, complete with basic things, such as a bed, dresser, and window. It reminded her a lot of the mayor's guestroom.

"Whose room is this?"

"Nobody's, really. It used to be more of a storage room, but Koopie Koo cleaned it up a few years ago."

She sat on the bed and hugged a pillow. "You know, this may sound a little weird, but I actually think this was a good day. Your dad is... nice. And Koopie Koo is, too. If it'll make you feel any better, they weren't that bad with the silly questions. It's only normal they'd be curious about a weirdo like me." She laughed bitterly at her last remark.

Koops frowned sadly. "Don't say that. It's not weird to be different. You fit in perfectly here."

"It's a good thing, too. I was a little scared they wouldn't like me."

"How could they not? They love you, and it's not hard to see why."

Vivian looked at him hard, hard enough for Koops to tell his comment triggered something. A smile spread across her face, going from a shy smirk to a big, happy grin. It was a loving, sweet smile that told him he'd hit the mark.

"Thank you," she gushed, hugging the pillow tighter. "Koopie Koo was wrong about you."

"Huh?"

"Even though nobody's perfect, I think you're the closest there is."

Now it was Koops' turn to be flattered. Her opinion sounded so honest and sincere, he felt like it was the truth. He was the pinnacle of perfection all because she said so.

"Well... good night," she said, standing to grab the doorknob.

"Good night," he replied. Her smile remained as she gently closed the door.

His smile soon turned into a frown, knowing he wouldn't see her again until tomorrow. He placed a hand on the door's wooden surface, wishing he could have a measly ten minutes to talk to her alone. Today, he barely got five...

* * *

He washed up, changed into his two-piece, light blue pajamas, and retreated to his room. He sat in bed and stared at the ceiling, Vivian running through his mind more than ever. 

Having her recover so quickly was a miracle if he'd ever seen one. He had to tell her soon before something else prevented them from being together... Unfortunately, three weeks of being who-knows-where had left her softer than he last remembered. He needed to make her feel comfortable before doing anything brash. There was no way he could just burst into her room, shout "I love you!" and expect her to take it seriously. No, this matter had to be handled with care...

But with his father and Koopie Koo in the house, it'd only become more and more difficult to spend time alone with Vivian, especially if they didn't know how he felt about her. Koopley wouldn't be that hard to explain his predicament to, but Koopie Koo was a different story. As smitten as she was with him, she was slowly destroying any chance he had of making a future with the siren. If Vivian ever found out about Koopie Koo, it'd break her heart; if Koopie Koo found about her, they'd both end up hating him _and_ each other.

And her face. _Oh, that face!_ The image of Koopie Koo's puzzled expression came to mind. Her feelings were obviously hurt, but he didn't mean any harm. He just couldn't stand for her to kiss him anymore, and vice versa. He had to let her down gently. There would be tears, but then, acceptance... At least, he hoped so.

Koops sighed. With so much on the line, he had to break up with Koopie Koo first; the sooner the better. He could take her tantrum over the decision and Vivian would be flattered that he chose her over his own kind. He was going to have the perfect surprise on the night he planned to tell her...

"One week," he told himself. "Give me one week and I'll do it."

Satisfied with his plan, he turned over and switched off the light, already practicing what he was going to say...

* * *

_**Authoress' Notes:** You have to feel a little sorry for Koopie Koo... Oh, well. This story is angst for a reason. :(_


	20. Passion

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ We're almost done! Only 10 more to go! Also, this chapter is basically like the last one, so don't expect too much to happen._

* * *

**_Better Off Alone_**

**_Chapter 20:_**_ Passion _

* * *

Koops awakened with a start the next morning. Like a child on his birthday, he jumped out of bed and looked outside. _Was Vivian up? Where was she? He wanted to see her after her first night staying there!_

Then again, it was early... _way_ too early. About two hours too early, said the clock on his dresser.

He crept over to the end of the hallway and peered downstairs. Koopley walked by with coffee and the morning paper. He always got up first and went to the kitchen to read it. Vivian was nowhere in sight, as was expected. If that was the case, he'd just go back to bed...

"Good morning, Koops."

The sound of Koopie Koo's voice made him flinch. "Uh... good morning."

"You're up early today... Why's that?"

"You know I'm a morning person. I always wake up early."

"Not_ this_ early."

"I wanted to see if Vivian was up. Thought I heard her come by..."

"That was probably me. I think she's still asleep."

He yawned. "Okay, then I'm just going back to bed..."

The female Koopa laughed. "What? You never go back to bed. Once you're up, you're up."

That was true; Koops had a hard time going back to sleep after waking, but if Vivian wasn't awake, he'd sleep for as long as he had to just to see her.

"Yeah, but it_ is_ a little... early," he lied. "Give me a few more hours."

Koopie Koo raised an eyebrow at his sudden desire to leave, but shrugged it off. So Koops was acting strangely... Big deal; he was always a little weird. A nice, warm shower would purge her of such crazy ideas.

* * *

_The Stars were angry and unhappy at what transpired 1,000 years ago. Two star-crossed lovers had bypassed the enemy lines of their species and fell in love with one another. Unfortunately, this was not to be, and the two were severely punished for their enduring relationship. A curse was set about on each lover, and until another love between their families was true and pure, never requited, the lover's souls would never rest..._

* * *

An hour or two passed before Koops awakened again, this time from the smell of sausages. Vivian had to be up by now. He quickly changed into his usual attire and went down to the kitchen.

He came down and stopped the foot of the stairs, only to see the Shadow Siren coming from the kitchen with an egg-and-cheese sandwich. His tail started wagging.

"Good morning," she said. "Did you sleep well?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Actually, I did. The bed's really comfortable--"

"It must've been for you to sleep in so late," laughed Koopley from the table. "You do know she just got up, right?"

Koops ignored him. "That doesn't matter. You can sleep in as late as you want."

"I should've gone to bed earlier," said Vivian, rubbing her face. "I think that's why I was so sleepy."

A small shadow crept across the wall of the living room, its tail twitching. _"Hmm, what they don't know won't hurt them. In fact, it will bring them together..." _

The rug suddenly bundled up, just as Vivian left the kitchen. She tripped over the ruffles and fell with a shriek, as Koops came from around the corner of the stairs. She fell onto him hard, her face buried in his jacket.

Surprised, he flinched. "What was... that?"

"...I don't know. I was just coming in to sit down and I guess I... tripped."

Koops looked down. "No wonder, the carpet's uneven."

"Oh..." Vivian seemed stupefied, unsure of what happened.

After an awkward pause, they separated, laughing uneasily and sat on the couch.

"So, you liked it, then? The room's okay?"

She bit into her sandwich. "It's very small and cozy... Almost like it was made for me."

"Good," he replied. In all reality, it made him excited when she was the least bit happy.

"...Um, what do you usually do around here?"

"Nothing much. Run errands, pick up stuff, get things done. I work around town."

"Oh." She paused. "...Well, what do I do?"

"You could help me out... I know that sounds a little boring, but..."

"No, I'd be glad to. It's not boring at all."

"Well, that's good to hear!" came Koopley's voice. "I just remembered that Kroop called. Says he wants you to go over and pick up his orders of Cake Mix form to shop."

Koops groaned. "Dad, you know how much of that stuff he orders... It'll be nighttime before I get it all over there."

"First of all, he said to keep it here; he'll pick it up tomorrow. Second, your friend can help out. You were just talking about that, right?"

Vivian finished her breakfast. "Oh, sure. I could help you with that."

"Really? I mean, you don't have to..."

"I don't. It'd be... a pleasure... I guess," she finished with a giggle.

"Okay. Uh..." he stood, excited and nervous at the same time. "We can go now... right?"

Vivian also stood. "Yes, if you want to."

"Um... okay... I guess we'll be back soon, then..." he clumsily opened the door and let Vivian out first, closing it behind him.

Koopley shrugged, confused by his son's erratic behavior. "Sometimes I wonder about that boy..."

* * *

Outside was warm and moderate; a perfect day for a stroll. Koops made his way towards the shop, Vivian close behind. Seeing this, he slowed his pace, hoping she'd want to catch up. Unfortunately, she chose to follow, uncertain of where they were going.

Following Koops gave her a chance to admire the surroundings. The brook was so clear, she could see the bottom, and the butterflies came in all colors of the rainbow, while the dozing Bub-ulbs had adorable flower petals. For the first time since she arrived, she was beginning to feel comfortable outside. No one seemed repulsed by her, and they weren't staring her down... Maybe they didn't mind a Shadow Siren living in their town. Was such a thing even possible?

After a few minutes, they reached the shop near the edge of town. Koops held the door open and allowed Vivian through first. He made sure to do this as much as possible.

Inside, the little shop was quaint and small, consisting of some customers, supplies, and the Toad manager himself.

"Why, hello!" he greeted. "You look new around here. Can I interest you in a Fire Flower or two?"

Vivian was speechless. "Um..."

"She's with me," said Koops. "We came to get the order of Cake Mix for the mayor."

"Oh, I see. Hang on a minute. I'll get it from storage," he said, going into the back. Minutes later, he returned with two bags of Cake Mix and two Mushrooms. "Here you are; the mayor's order. Also, a free Mushroom for making you wait. We've got too many in stock anyway."

Koops grabbed a bag. "Thanks."

As Vivian took the second bag, the manager also gave her a Mushroom. "And here's one for you, ma'am. A reward for all your trouble."

_A reward? ...She never got rewards for anything._

"Oh, I... Well..." She reluctantly took it. "Thank you."

"Well, thank_ you_ for helping out my favorite customer with all this back-breaking work of his!" He elbowed Koops, who laughed.

_...No one ever thanked her, either._

On the way out, Koops was unable to catch the door, but a young Toad coming in held it open.

"Here, lady. Lemme get that for ya," he said, his eyes darting from her to some sort of video game.

Vivian carefully crept by, making sure he wouldn't slam it in her face like mean people would. But the youth proved her wrong, and didn't let go until she was outside.

_...So other people could hold doors open? She didn't know that. They never did it before..._

"Well, that wasn't so bad," said Koops, eating his Mushroom.

"No, it was actually... nice."

"You even got a free sample for helping. He doesn't usually do that, you know."

She looked at the Mushroom. "...Does that mean... I'm important?"

It really hurt Koops for her to ask such a question, but he answered the best way he could.

"Of course. You're very important."

"...If you say so."

Koops was shocked to see Vivian was actually strolling by his side, just as content as she could be. She happily nibbled on her reward and walked with a little skip in her step... If one could ever imagine her skipping, anyway.

* * *

There may've not been much to do in Petalburg, but as long as Vivian was around, Koops couldn't care less. After getting the mayor's Cake Mix, they both lazed around the house, inside and out. There were no other jobs at the moment, not to mention Koops was expecting some very important guests soon.

He stood at the sink, washing the dishes from breakfast that morning. Koopley was upstairs, and Koopie Koo was watering the garden. Vivian was watching her, last he knew. Placing the last glass on the dish rack, he checked the time and went upstairs to get ready for his visitors.

Not long after, Vivian entered, tired of listening to Koopie Koo's gardening tips. Koops wasn't around, so she sat on the couch, somewhat disappointed. There was an abandoned book on the arm, which she grabbed to read.

The novel was just beginning to get good when it was shattered by a loud knock at the door. The siren wasn't sure if she was allowed to answer it, remembering she was simply a guest. The knocking continued and since no one else was coming, she decided to get it.

Unable to see anyone outside, she cautiously peeked out, only to be startled by a sudden "Surprise!" from five familiar voices. Goombella, Waffles, Flurrie, Bobbery, and even Ms. Mowz stood before her, a smile on their faces.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up!" Goombella beamed. "Great to see you again after all this time!"

"Same here!" said the admiral. "It's nice to finally see you again!"

"Koops told us you were back, so we all decided to pay a visit!" added Waffles.

Vivian was stupefied. "...What're you doing here? Weren't you all busy somewhere?"

"Not me," said Goombella, as they came in. "The professor and I have done a lot of researching lately, so we're taking some time off."

Waffles plopped himself on the couch. "Glitz Pit fighters get _one_ day off every other week, and it wasn't easy getting here, so be grateful I'm doing this!"

"We came ashore here for some supplies. Goombella informed me, so I decided to drop in."

"The staff just finished a performance in Poshley Heights. That's not too far away from here, you know," said Flurrie. Vivian noticed she was sporting a fancy satin dress, shiny diamond bracelets, and a new pearl necklace.

"Oh, I was just... around... and wanted to check up on things," said Ms. Mowz in a shady tone.

"You guys are here already?" said Koops, coming downstairs. "Wow, you're fast."

"You invited them over?" Vivian asked. "But why?"

"Why not? It's been a while since we've seen each other face-to-face, so I thought it'd be nice to get together again. And I think everyone wanted to see you, too."

"Me?" she questioned, as if it were a shock.

"Yeah, you!" Goombella laughed. "Who else?"

Bobbery made himself comfortable. "Where've you been all this time? It hasn't been the same without hearing from you."

"Yeah," said Waffles. "Why'd you go and disappear like that? I was almost worried about you."

"Maybe she just needed to get away from it all," said Flurrie. "I'm a little guilty for leaving myself."

"Asking questions may be good for you, but Vivian has a right to keep things to herself," voiced the white mouse.

"What? ...Okay, fine then. We might not wanna know..."

Goombella scoffed. "Waffles!"

"Well, we might _not_!"

Seeing the two argue like that made Vivian smile. Although a few of them looked different, not a thing had changed.

"'Like the moon of a cloudy sky, she reappears'," said Ms. Mowz. "'She comes and goes when she wants, but stay in our hearts'... I read that in a book somewhere. Thought it'd fit the mood."

"I... I haven't been gone _that _long, have I?"

"Well, you've been gone long enough to've acquired such a stunning necklace, I see."

Vivian was surprised to find she was blushing. "This? Well, it's...um..."

"Oh, you look so adorable in it!" exclaimed Flurrie. "I have to say you're handling it very well."

Bobbery squinted. "Hm, I didn't even notice. It looks very becoming of you."

"Y'know, I was just about to ask you about that," said Goombella. "I guess I never noticed Flurrie was missing it. I think it brings out your lips."

Waffles shrugged. "Meh, It's okay, I guess. Can't say too much, but it doesn't make you look as, y'know, dark..."

Despite Goombella giving him the evil eye, Vivian took his complement to heart. Koops could tell by her coyness she was happy.

The conversation was suddenly interrupted by Koopie Koo's entrance. Puzzled, she looked around and asked, "Koops, who're all these people?"

"They're my friends. The ones I told you about a few days ago?"

"Really? ...Hey!" She dashed over to the Cloud Spirit. "You're Madame Flurrie! Oh, I've heard so much about you returning to the stage! I absolutely loved you in_ 'Tears of a Dayzee'_!"

"Ah, a true fan. Yes, that was a real blockbuster. One of the classics before I went on hiatus."

"And you!" she said, moving onto Waffles. "The Great Gonzales Jr.! I've been rooting for you ever since Sir Swoop dropped out of the fighting ranks!"

"Yeah. He couldn't keep his act together and left after I got there. It's a shame we never got to fight..."

She went to Goombella. "Oh, and you! You're that rising archeologist who said Yoshies used live all around the Mushroom Kingdom!"

"Well, it's just a theory, but..."

"And the Bob-omb who sails around with the ancient ghost, Cortez! And Ms. Mowz, the legendary badge thief! Gosh, I didn't know you were friends with such celebrities!"

"Uh, I told you about them earlier, you know..."

"Yeah, but I didn't think you actually meant _these_ guys!"

"...Of course..." Koops sighed, frustrated at her lack of trust.

Excited, Koopie Koo clapped her hands together. "Say, I've got a great idea! Why don't all of you join us for dinner? I've wanted to cook up a big meal for some time now!"

Goombella perked up. "Free dinner?"

Bobbery nodded. "I'd say that sounds smashing!"

Waffles bounced up and down. "Oh, yeah! You can count me in!"

"I actually _could_ go a night without caviar for once..." admitted Flurrie.

"I guess that means no leftovers tonight," laughed Ms. Mowz.

"...If that's the case, could you at least make some Choco Cake? I'm sure Kroop won't mind if we use some of his Cake Mix. Vi--I mean, _we'd _like it if you could..." Koops quickly corrected himself, looking around to see if anybody noticed. Fortunately, no one caught his mistake... at least, that's what he thought.

Vivian was the only one who realized his tongue slipped and was flattered. It wasn't every day people remembered things mentioned in idle chitchat...

* * *

Dinner that night was much less awkward than yesterday, with the attention mainly focused on the others. Koopley and Koopie Koo only made the gathering more comfortable with their silly questions. Amid the asking, answering, and Waffles' faulty demonstrations of strength at the table, Vivian felt a funny sense of connection between them all. Like the Crystal Stars, one would complement the other in a never-ending circle of friendship.

And Koops? He was the high point of everything, a lot different from the others. He was the one who called everybody and requested the dessert, especially for her. Being surrounded by so many caring friends made her feel special. Inviting them over was just the thing she needed.

* * *

After eating, goodbyes were said and phone numbers were exchanged. As much as they wanted to stay, everyone explained they had to get back to their daily schedules. Vivian would miss Goombella's sisterly love, but planned on visiting her in Rougeport. And everyone else was still _somewhere_ in the Mushroom Kingdom...

She and Koops stood outside, waving goodbye to a chipper Waffles. The little Yoshi kept calling out farewells, begging for them to call if they heard from Mario. While the siren continued waving, the Koopa lost interest and stared off behind them. Watching the darkening sky, an idea began to form.

"Hey, Vivian... Have I ever shown you Shhwonk Fortress?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"No. What's that?"

"I guess you could say it's our claim to fame when it comes to the Crystal Stars. They say our ancestors built it long ago and hid there for protection against enemies."

She looked past the gate that kept residents from going any further. Outside, there was a dense forest leading into a strange-looking building. With the sun setting, its shadow seemed to loom over everything beyond the town's gate. She couldn't say she never noticed it before, but if there was something keeping them out, why bother?

"Is it safe? Doesn't look very... inviting."

"It couldn't be safer. Some Fuzzies live there, but... they won't bother you if you don't bother them."

Vivian adjusted her hat shyly. "...If you say so."

If there was one thing Koops loved about Shhwonk Fortress, it was its secrecy. It was the perfect place to take Vivian for a nice stroll. The mood was right, Koopie Koo was cleaning up after dinner, and Koopley was taking a nap. What better way to end a perfect day than to relax in such a beautiful place? He was supposed to be washing the dishes, but didn't have time for that now...

* * *

Koops led her past the two stone shelters that each held a guard Bristle and Cleft. He remembered they were put there to protect the fortress thousands of years ago. Even if someone managed to defeat them, they always came back. Fortunately, they only went after those foreign to Petalburg, so they wouldn't attack him or his guest. They simply sat on their respective pedestals, staring off into space until a trespasser came by.

Finally arriving at a grassy patch before the last shelter, Koops sat down on the grass, resting his head and body on its warm surface. Vivian looked down at him, confused.

"Sit here," he said, patting the spot beside him.

She obeyed, mimicking him and stretched out on the ground. Looking up into the sky, she could see the stars coming out. The sun set in the distance, lighting the clouds' undersides a bright orange, while the upcoming night colored their tops a soft purple.

"This is one of my favorite times of the day," said Koops. "And this is the perfect spot to enjoy it. It's kind of like in Twilight Town, so I thought you'd like to see it."

Vivian smirked. "You say that like it's a good thing. Trust me, perpetual darkness isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"Not even for you?"

"I guess I'm just sick of living there. It's the same thing over and over again... Not like this place."

"What's so different here?"

"Well, there're more people and the environment's very friendly and... I know I'm welcome. In Twilight Town, everyone's so dark and shifty; it's hard to tell who's being serious and who's not."

"How long have you lived there?"

Vivian looked at him, unsure of what to say. She certainly couldn't tell him that she'd been dwelling there since his grandparents' age. That'd only ruin the conversation.

"About five years," she quickly answered.

"Oh..." Koops knew it was a lie, but didn't pry any further. "I was born here, so this has always been my home."

"It's a great place to call home."

"Yeah. Hooktail was the only problem, though. With her around, everyone always thought this was the worst town to live in. It actually used to be more popular."

"That's a shame..." Vivian replied, suddenly feeling guilty.

"It's okay, though. Now that she's gone, more people started moving in. I even know some of them from years back."

That was nice to hear. Hooktail's fiery rampage wasn't even enough to dampen Koops' spirit. If there was one thing she liked about him, it was his optimism. Too bad she was the complete opposite, always expecting the worst of things. Still, it was nice to see him so content. If she was lucky, maybe some of his good fortune would rub off on her...

She kept thinking about this until a certain lining of stars caught her eye.

"Oh... Look at that," she pointed. "At those stars over there. They kind of look like a Yoshi. See the saddle?"

Koops laughed. She was right; a line of stars had arranged themselves to form the Yoshi's spine and saddle, a faded aura making out its body.

It wasn't long before he spotted another shape. "That one over there looks like a Boo. It even has teeth."

Vivian giggled. The stars that formed its teeth were especially bright. She could see its arms thrown up, as a faded cluster of stars resembled its tongue.

"And right next to it," she grinned. "It looks an awful lot like a heart--"

Both of their smiles disappeared, the formation tugging at their consciences. Deep down, seeing it in sky suddenly made each one feel a little embarrassed of being with the other.

Koops' eyes darted about. _What're the chances of seeing _that_, of all things, in the sky?! He didn't want to start gushing like an idiot in front of her, but seeing it made him want to... _

Vivian tapped her fingers on the grass. _Why'd she have go and say that? It would've been much smoother if Koops noticed it first. She probably ruined the whole experience. She hated herself sometimes..._

"...Well," Koops said, after a long silence, "I don't think I've ever seen so many things in the sky... Not before you came, anyway."

Vivian didn't look at him. "...Is that a bad thing?"

"No... I think it's some kind of omen. Like you were supposed to come... because you belong here."

"I don't belong here. I'm only staying for a bit. Once I get myself together, I'll leave."

Koops looked at her, panicked she was saying this. "You don't have to leave..."

She nodded. "I know, but I feel like I have to. Maybe not now, but soon."

Trying to persuade her was always a bad idea, so he gave in and returned to his stargazing. _If she _did_ end up leaving after all this time... then he'd just have to follow her._

He changed the subject. "I can't remember the last time I did this. Seems like forever since me and Dad sat out here on the weekends together."

Vivian smiled. "I used to do it with Lillian all the time..." she paused and looked at Koops uncertainly. "...Do you think she's up there?"

Koops softened at her remark, her deceased sister making him uncomfortable.

Not hearing a response, her voice saddened. "...I mean... 'Cause Beldam always said... she didn't deserve to go to the good place, so I'm not sure..."

The mentioning of Beldam made Koops annoyed. He couldn't stand that ugly, old witch, especially after all the mental damage she caused poor Vivian. What kind of a sick, twisted freak would say _that_ about their own sister?! He decided to make it better...

"...Lillian _is _up there. And happy, too."

"Really?"

"I bet she was just as nice as you are, and if that's the case, she could looking down on us right now."

Vivian didn't say anything. Instead, she looked at Koops with hidden, but sentimental eyes. Of course, he couldn't tell until she said something.

"Koops, that was... so sweet. You really have a way with words."

"Oh, that was nothing. I was only thinking out loud..."

Even though he was truthful, he didn't think Vivian would find it as touching. He was simply repeating something Koopley told him not too long ago about his own mother. It was only fair that Vivian was treated to the same comfort.

She turned to the stars again. "Now, I know she's up there... and happy."

He smiled and continued looking across the darkening sky in time to see, if only for a second, a single star sparkle brighter than any other...

* * *

It was nearly midnight before the two went home, neither of them wanting to. Vivian walked alongside him, playing with her hands. She usually did that when she was nervous... Then again, he was nervous, too. He wasn't sure what to say. The walk home was quiet and awkward, but peaceful.

Once they arrived at the house, Koops opened the door and allowed her in first. He always made sure to do that; it _was _common courtesy, after all. No sooner had he locked the door, the lights clicked on. He thought it was Vivian, but was startled to realize she was nowhere near the light switch.

"Koops?"

He knew that voice and he knew that tone. It was Koopie Koo's, and she didn't sound too happy...

And almost on cue, the irate Koopa came from upstairs. "Koops, where have _been_?"

"Out..." he said, not turning around.

"What's that supposed to mean? 'Out'? Out where? Doing what?" She crossed her arms. "And why? At this time of the night?"

"I just went to Rogueport to get some extra Mushrooms..." he lied.

She sighed, exasperated. "But you've been gone for _hours_! Do you realize it's past midnight? I was starting to get worried!"

Vivian stood at the foot of the stairs as Koopie Koo continued scolding Koops. She felt sorry for him, seeing this so-called "friend" was making such a big deal of things. Perhaps he could've told her about leaving, but didn't deserve to be yelled at just because he forgot.

Koops shrugged for the umpteenth time. "Okay, I'm sorry..."

"Well, _please _don't do that anymore," she said, finished lecturing. "I just want you to be careful, that's all."

She pulled him into a loving hug, which made him squirm. He didn't feel comfortable in her arms, and had no intention of returning the favor. His conscience growled at him over and over to at least_ pretend_ to enjoy it, but his heart refused to show passion. In all reality, he couldn't stand to be hugged by anyone other than a certain shadow...

Unable to take it any longer, he pulled away. "Uh... Maybe we should be going to bed now..."

"All right," she said, nuzzling his chest. "But just so you know, I'm not mad, okay? I was only looking out for you."

"Yeah..." He nodded and inched away until he reached the stairs.

"I'll be up in a minute," Koopie Koo added, going to the kitchen. "After I get a glass of water."

Koops usually waited for her before leaving, but was more than ready to make an exception. Vivian seemed to know this and went ahead of him. This was a surprise, since she usually followed all the time. Then again, it was actually progress...

* * *

Just like last night, the two stopped at Vivian's room first. Koops racked his brain to think of something to say, but kept coming up empty. Despite this, he still had to try...

Arriving at the door, the siren turned and smiled. "I had a wonderful time today. The townspeople are so nice, and it was great seeing everybody again, not to mention Shhwonk Fortress was beautiful. I'm liking this place more and more all the time."

"Hey, uh... Maybe we can go somewhere tomorrow and... get out of the house a little. I know there's not too much to around here..." he trailed off, looking down at the floor.

"That'd be nice..." He heard Vivian unexpectedly say. "Where do you have in mind?"

"Uh, I don't know. Rogueport's not that bad of a place anymore, so why don't we try there again...?"

She agreed. It might've been a little unsightly, but the grungy town was improving every day. It looked almost livable when she was last there.

Koops was practically sweating bullets, looking at his feet. _He'd never been this nervous around Vivian before, so why was he feeling like this now...?_ He was about to bid her an awkward farewell when he saw her lifting her hand.

With a smile, she took his balled-up fist squeezed it. Her downy gloves were soft and warm as she ran them over his sweat-drenched palm. It made him relax, but he was unsure of what to do afterwards... Nearly a minute passed before Vivian cleared her throat.

"It's already really late, so I'm going to bed now... if you don't mind."

"Oh, okay..." He meekly smiled. "Uh... sleep tight."

She giggled at his choice of words and closed the door. Koops could only shake his head in disgust of his stupidity and get ready for a long sleepless night...

* * *

Vivian leaned against the door, still smiling at what Koops'd said. It was obvious he was still trying to make a good impression. Ever since she got there, he'd been doing one nice thing after another. Inviting her to stay at his house was one thing, then it all went downhill from there. Unfortunately, the poor guy could never think of a thing to say when they were face-to-face.

Just then, a strange feeling came over her...

It was... odd. It just came out of nowhere... Like a cold chill traveling throughout her entire body. She had goose bumps all over, and her chest had a weird tingling sensation. She could feel her heart's rhythm suddenly quicken and her breath came in short gasps.

_What was it? What was making her do this? Was it... Koops?_

She looked back at the door and opened it, seeing Koops was no longer there. The door to his room was closed and a sudden hush had fallen over the entire hallway. She sighed and withdrew her head.

At the edge of the room, she quickly glanced at herself in a bureau's mirror. She looked normal on the outside, but the inside felt... conflicted. By what, she didn't know; or maybe she was naive to understand. Looking back into the mirror, the siren was shocked to realize she was... blushing. She covered a side of her face and turned away.

_Blushing? Why? Over what?_

Her body was telling her something, but her mind failed to recognize it... Certainly, Koops couldn't be the source of these sudden emotions. But if he wasn't, who was...?

It was vague at first, and she almost abandoned the idea, but now she was having second thoughts...

_How _did _she feel about him? He wasn't just a friend, but what do you call someone who's more than that?_

_Could it be... a lover?_

She shook her head. No, that didn't make sense... He didn't love her. All the stuff he did was only because she was a guest in his home. He wouldn't be acting the same if he were staying with her.

...Then she remembered falling over that morning, and Koops being there to catch her... In that moment, something clicked. She didn't know what it was or why it happened, but it did. In the briefness of their standstill, there was a sense of unity between the two. It was like the perfect match for the perfect duo. There was never another time she felt so complete. That feeling was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. Not with Mario, her friends, or even Lillian.

And when they went to the shop together... Vivian was always used to traveling behind others, yet she stayed by Koops' side. She wanted to be near him at all times.

_But why? Why did wanting to be with Koops make her happy? It should've made her afraid and terrified, like she had been all her life. But she trusted him so much... it was more than she first thought. If he said something, she believed it, no matter how crazy it may've seemed. Everything Koops did was right in her eyes. And even if he messed up, it was never his fault. _

She removed her hat and necklace, placing them on the bedside table. Throwing back the bedspread, she made herself comfortable underneath the cool covers. Burying her head into the pillow, she sighed. All she could do was wait for something to happen, since her judgment was so clouded. It was possible that she may've been exaggerating a little…

Just because he _happened_ to be there and _happened _catch her that morning didn't mean the whole thing was planned, right?

_Right...?_

* * *

A mysterious merchant sat in the middle of town, the noose hanging ominously behind her. She'd been sitting there for some time, brooding. No one though much about her; peddlers from all over came to Rogueport in order to sell of merchandise, but that wasn't the case for this one... For she knew the secret of the Amethyst Crystal Star.

With an old, tattered cape hiding her figure, she appeared small and hunched over in continuous plotting. A necklace of golden beads with a ruby jewel dangled around her neck, much like the useless junk she had displayed for sale. She had no use of any of it, but needed to look inconspicuous.

Bandits and Doogans were quick to avoid this strange figure. The air around her was so cold and ominous... It made most shiver just from walking by. This failed to faze her, as she needed the peace and quiet to think.

"The time is right," she muttered to herself. "Mario's gone and the Crystal Stars are mine for the taking. But first... Vivian will have to learn the consequences of her behavior... whether she wants to or not."

* * *

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ Once again, Koopie Koo gets the short stick. :( She's gonna be pissed sooner or later, though. I bet you guys are getting sick of this boring Petalburg life, huh? Don't worry, that'll all change next chapter... Sorta. _


	21. Love

_**Authoress' Notes: **Ah, finally! The climax is here! Now there's only 9 more to go! So, sit back and enjoy. :) _

* * *

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 21: **Love_

* * *

If there was one thing the people of Rogueport loved about their town, it was its magnificent sunrise. It always used to be so bleak and boring, but ever since the darkness of an evil entity was lifted, people began to appreciate it more. Many Bandits quit their life of crime and became honest, hard-working citizens. No longer did the shadows of regret linger behind alleyways, just waiting until nightfall to spring forth again. And for the first time since the great cataclysm, morning was the start of something new, not another opportunity to cheat at life. It was truly a wonderful day anytime in this town. 

Frankie sat in at the desk of the Don's office, admiring the golden morning outside. Now that he was in charge, it was his responsibility to keep the West Side of Rogueport as clean as possible. According to recent feedback, he was doing a pretty good job. Tony and Vinny were afraid to say anything, but it might've even been better than their last boss. Regardless, things were calm and peaceful and no one would've cared either way.

Finished with watching the rising sun, Frankie returned to the daunting task of doing his paperwork. He'd just started planning his daily agenda when the phone rang. This was considered very unusual, as no one ever called there _that_ early...

"Yeah, hello and good mornin'. Whaddya youse want?"

"...Um, is this the Don? Frankie, was it?" whispered a soft voice.

"Yeah, he's talkin'. So, who's dis?"

"A friend... of Mario's..."

"Mario?" He had to adjust his glasses. "Youse mean dat guy who saved da world? _Dat_ Mario?"

"Yeah, that's the same guy. Look, I hope this isn't too much trouble, but... I have a favor to ask of you..."

"Oh, sure! Anythin' for a friend of da great Mario! Doin' youse a favor's just as good as doin' dat guy a favor!"

There was a relieved sigh on the other end. "Great. Here's what I need..."

* * *

Morning came, followed by day, then night. This was how it went in the laid-back town of Petalburg. And in less than a week's time, Vivian had become like a part of the family. She was gaining more confidence by doing chores, running errands, and even cooking a meal or two. She was open and honest towards her new caretakers and rarely acted shy. Koopley often made little jokes about how they should start paying her for being such a good housemaid. 

After that night she spent with Koops under the stars, she didn't mention one thing about leaving. The subject was put aside and hopefully forgotten. Having their new guest permanently stay was the best thing to happen since Koops returned.

They had the most fun together. When bored, they basked in the sun together in Petal Meadows and stayed there until fireflies came out at night. After getting water from a nearby steam, Vivian would sometimes wet him, and they would engage in a splashing fight until they were both soaked. On warm evenings after dinner, they'd sit outside on the stairs, eating dessert and listening to the crickets chirp.

Even neighbors and friends who came to visit immediately took a liking to her. They didn't care if she looked different; if she was a friend of Koops, she was a friend to them all. Some even sent items and gifts as a way of welcoming her into their humble town.

It was plain to see she'd finally found her new home.

* * *

Koops opened an eye in bed, his body waking him up. It was a little before noon and a glorious day outside, as usual. He sat and lingered under the covers, thinking about what he'd done... 

It'd been a week and the time seemed right to tell her how he really felt. He made the call earlier that morning. They said they'd be ready... All he had to do was get her there and improvise.

_Was there anyway to make his confession go smoother?_ he thought, going through his clothes until he found his favorite jacket and shorts. _Could he write a poem? Buy her something? Practice some lines?_

...No, he had to do it without any of that. He had to tell her the way only _he_ could tell it. He'd be lying if he memorized some words or wrote poetry. The real Koops was only good at being gentle and honest, and that's what he would be. He got out of bed and decided to start the day off on a good foot; by seeing a happy Vivian.

Vivian wasn't in her room, so he figured she was downstairs. Not seeing her there, he was about to worry when she suddenly appeared from the shadows with a basket of clothes.

"Hi," she greeted. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'll make breakfast after I finish folding these."

"Um, I can help... if you want."

She agreed and they both began folding on the couch. Nothing made him happier than helping her with chores.

About that time, Koopie Koo came downstairs, only to see her affection with Vivian... _again._ It'd been bothering her for some time, and she was more than fed up. It didn't seem so bad at first, but over time, Koops' attention on her slowly shifted over to that other girl.

_He woke up every morning just to see __**her**__. He ran errands only when __**she **__did. When __**she**__ went to bed, he did..._

Koopley told her to stop being so suspicious, but what did he know? He wasn't even a girl.

"Koops, we need to talk," she said, pulling him into the kitchen. "Listen, I'm all for helping out Vivian and all... But don't you think she needs to get a place of her own soon?"

The very thought appalled him. "Why? She's doing more than her share of work around here."

"Yeah, I've noticed..." she muttered, making a face.

"So, what's wrong?"

"Well... I think she needs to find her own place to live. She can't stay here forever."

"But... she fits in here. Look." He motioned to her folding clothes in the living room. "See how happy she is? Why would you want to go and ruin a thing like that?"

She sighed and tried to explain. "You plan on moving out one day, right? I mean, as a mayor, you're expected to start thinking and living on your own. It's the same with her. I think Vivian needs to... grow up a little. Just like you."

"...What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, offended.

"Koops, she's been here for over a week. I think that's more than enough time for her to get herself together. She's looking and sounding much better, so it's time for her to leave."

"Leave? You can't just expect me to kick her out..."

"You and I both know it's not right to keep her here. She should go back to wherever she came from. Twilight Town, wasn't it? That's where she really belongs."

He frowned. "You can't be serious. Twilight Town's too cold and barren. That's the last place she should go by herself."

"Then, maybe _you _could help her find another home..."

Koops was starting to get annoyed. "Koopie Koo, what's your problem? Why can't you just accept that Vivian belongs here?"

"To tell you the truth, it's _you_ I have a problem with." She gave him a look he'd never seen before. It was angry and serious at the same time. "Ever since that girl got here, you've been acting really weird."

"...That's not true..." he said, leaving.

She pulled him back and frowned. "And that! What you just did! You've never done _that _before she came!"

He rolled his eyes. "Nothing's changed since Vivian got here. If anything, she made it better."

"Then why won't you kiss me anymore? Why don't we ever hug? And when was the last time you said, 'I love you'?"

Koops knew the answer to all these questions, but couldn't tell her any. He'd gotten away with it for the past week, but Koopie Koo was starting to catch on. Regardless, he still had to try and keep her in the dark about his other love.

"...What's that have to do with Vivian?"

"I was hoping _you'd _know." She crossed her arms. "Look, I like the girl, I really do... But you're always with her, you never want to go out, and you keep avoiding me! It's like nothing else in the world exists when she's around, and as your _girlfriend_, I find that very misleading."

"Misleading?"

"Yes! Your other friends all have their own places, so why can't she?"

"You have to understand..." He made sure the siren wasn't listening. "Vivian's very delicate and... a little naive. Besides me and the others, she doesn't have a friend in the world."

"She has to have family, at least."

He shook his head. "No, not even that."

"...Well, she could stay with Kroop. He needs the company."

"But that's not fair," he replied, imagining Vivian's sad face. "She might think we don't want her around anymore."

"Okay, Koops, you're taking this a bit too far."

He scowled. "I think you're just jealous..."

Koopie Koo was outraged. "Jealous? _Jealous?!_ Of_ her_? She's not even a Koopa! Why would I be jealous of her?!"

"Then why do you want her out so bad?"

"Because this isn't her house! No one ever said she'd live here! Plus, you need some time away from her! You're treating her even better than me!"

He began walking away. "Vivian's not doing anything wrong. She's been very loyal and kind, so she's staying, and that's that."

"_Fine!_ If anyone needs me, I'll be in my room... not that it matters to you!" She stomped upstairs and down the hallway, slamming her door shut.

"What's wrong with her?" Vivian asked from the other room.

"Nothing," he said, leaving the kitchen. "She's a little mad at something stupid I did. Don't worry about it."

"Oh..." She handed him his pile of folded clothes. "Here. I did yours first."

He reached to take them from her, but in grabbing them, he placed his hands on hers.

"Oh, um..." Vivian laughed nervously. "Oops."

"I guess I could grab them another way..."

There was an awkward pause before Koops let go and took the clothes in two heaps, one in each hand. Vivian then realized several clothes left on the couch.

"I didn't finish folding them, so..."

"I can do that while you take these upstairs. I don't think you want to fool around with Dad's underwear."

She laughed halfheartedly at that, somewhat glad she didn't have to.

* * *

As Koops stayed behind to finish folding, Vivian went upstairs to put away his clothes. She put shirt after shirt after shirt on a hanger inside his almost-empty closet, wondering why he wore the same jacket and shorts. Even back home, it was the only thing he dared put on. She laughed at the irony of their continuous attire; while he wore the same clothes everyday, she wore_ nothing_ everyday. No one ever said anything about it, so why not? Beldam said clothes were a waste of money when you lived in a forest... 

_But she _wasn't _living in a forest anymore. So, what did that mean?_

...Her musings came to a screeching halt as she accidentally knocked down some hangers and clothes. She stooped down to pick them up when she came across something she never thought would turn up in Koops' room...

A dress. It was beautiful, red, and very expensive-looking. Its soft silkiness was just begging for attention.

She took it off the hanger and rubbed her hands over it. It mesmerized her with its smoothness, making her want to have the same feeling all over. Curious, she snuggled her face in it, smelling the faint scent of fancy perfume. It made her want to melt into it like she did when sinking into the shadows.

Not only was the dress itself pretty, but the_ red_... She couldn't take her eyes off it. It was red like roses, love, and passion. It had no wrinkles, but when a crease appeared, it was like a strand of pink sparkles. She_ had_ to wear this dress, no matter whose it was... _It wouldn't hurt to wear it for a minute..._

Making sure no one was around, she removed her hat and threw the dress over her head. It easily slipped down her back, proving to be a perfect fit once smoothed out. It dragged on the floor a little, but looked fine otherwise. Grabbing her hat, she went over to the mirror for a better look. Seeing herself red-clad in the expensive satin, it finally dawned on Vivian that she was actually attractive...

The dress went with her entire figure; her hair, hat, gloves, and necklace... Not to mention her powers of fire. Like Flurrie's necklace before, the Shadow Siren had fallen in love with the clothing. It was like a dream come true, one of her unfulfilled fantasies to wear such a thing. She wouldn't be caught dead in this if Beldam was around.

* * *

Koops finished folding and went upstairs to check on Vivian. Not only that, but he needed to tell her of the little arrangement he had planned. Seeing his door was open, he went to it and looked in. 

He saw someone gracefully dancing and swaying as she happily hummed to herself. She was wearing something he was all-too familiar with. And in a flash, he could've sworn...

_It was her... She had her back turned, but there was no doubt it was her! A soft breeze blew through the window, causing her hair and dress to flutter like the fallen leaves of autumn. She moved without the slightest bit of hindrance in step, making her entire being a work of art. He knew of only one who could even come close to looking so beautiful._

_Could it be? Was it--?! It had to be...!_

_...No, it wasn't..._

His smiled disappeared almost as quickly as it came. He'd always been a victim to wishful thinking... Reality shot him down once again, as he quickly realized it was Vivian dancing with herself in front of a mirror, lost in her own little world. The striped hat should've given it away.

He gently knocked on the door, startling her. "What're you doing?"

She laughed nervously. "I-it was only for a second. ...I just wanted to try it out. Um, tell Koopie Koo she has great taste..."

"Okay, but that's not her dress."

"It's not?" She pondered for a moment, then frowned. "...It's not yours, is it?"

He sadly smiled at her assumption and replied, "It's my mom's."

Upon hearing that, her mouth dropped and she scrambled to take it off. "_Oh!_ I'm sorry! I... I just... It was--"

"No, it's okay. You can keep it on."

"I can? You mean, you're not mad?"

"She would've wanted someone to get some use out of it. Plus, I've never seen you in a dress before." He was careful not to stare. "...You look really pretty."

That was just what she wanted to hear. "...Thank you."

"Actually..." he cleared throat. "I was wondering if you'd come with me to Rogueport later."

"What for?"

"Well... I mean, why not? We haven't been anywhere lately. Plus, Goombella recommended this nice place to me. You could show off your dress."

The very thought of being able so show off excited her. Beldam always said she too ugly to be proud of anything, but whoever said _she _looked good? After all the years of being in constant fear of her wrath, it was so refreshing to do what she wanted for a change.

"I'd love to."

* * *

Koops spent the rest of the day thinking about his mother. He missed her so much, and wished she could be there to see how much he'd changed. She and Vivian would've got along great, despite their differences. 

_It was amazing how much she looked like his beloved mother. For a split second, all he wanted to do was give her a hug. He could only image her soft warmth, familiar scent, and calm voice. _

He even found an old picture of her in his room. For the first time ever, he realized she really _did_ look like Vivian, especially in the hair and eyes. How strange...

Later that day, Koops was patiently waiting downstairs. It was starting to get late, and since all the chores and errands were done, it seemed like a good time as any to go. Vivian would be down any minute, hopefully before Koopie Koo found out. Koopley was out for the day and wouldn't be back until late that night, so maybe he wouldn't mind...

"So, are we going anywhere?"

He whipped around to see Koopie Koo leaning against the staircase, looking annoyed. "You promised we'd go sometime this week, right?"

"...Not right now."

"Figures. Lemme guess... Tomorrow, right? Then, you'll blow me off again? How many times has it been now? Five? Six? Seven? Refresh my memory again."

He sighed. "Look, I don't see why you have to be so negative about this. You're acting like the entire world revolves around you--"

"No, Koops. I think the problem is that_ you_ think it revolves around _her_."

_Not this again..._

"Just once, Koops. Just _once_, I'd like for us to go somewhere together. We haven't had any private time in nearly a month, and I feel that we're starting to drift apart... You're not the Koopa I remember."

"I guess I'm not," he said, walking away.

She stopped him. "Are you even listening to yourself anymore? I don't know what's making you act like this..."

"Nothing's making me act like anything. You're just... being superstitious."

"I know; it's always my fault nowadays." She rolled her eyes. "But even if that were so, can't we just sit down and... talk a little?"

He scratched his head, as if he were irritated. "Can't it wait until tomorrow? Seriously, we can talk then, but right now..."

"'Right now' what? What's so important right now, that you can't even talk to me, your own _girlfriend?!_"

He didn't have a chance to answer before Vivian appeared from upstairs. As expected, she was still wearing his mother's dress. She carefully descended down, careful not to fall. It was hard enough to walk in it, but nearly impossible to navigate a flight of stairs.

"Wait, isn't that your--"

Koops didn't even try to say anything. He only shrugged and sighed, waiting for her to erupt into a violent rage. Vivian looked confused at the scene, with Koopie Koo glaring at her dress, and Koops looking like she was being a bother.

"That's your mother's dress!"

"Yes..." he muttered.

"You're actually going to let her wear that outside?! Koops, I asked you for that dress before, and you said you'd never let anyone wear it again!"

"Well, she found it this morning, and it looked really nice on her, so..."

"I can't believe this!" She screamed, tears brimming in her eyes. "If that's the way you want it, then maybe I'll just pretend you don't exist either!"

With one last glare of hate at Koops, she stormed out the front door, slamming it behind her. Vivian cringed at the sudden burst of anger in the room. She looked at Koops in confusion.

"Am I allowed to wear this?"

"Yes. It's me she's mad at, not you."

"Why's that?"

"Nothing. She's... jealous."

"Oh." That seemed a little weird, as Koopie Koo never struck her as the jealous type.

"It's getting late, so we'd better go now."

She nodded, knowing how dark it was it the sewers after dusk. She had no idea where he planned on taking her, and that made her a little skeptical... but this was Koops. He wouldn't try anything dirty, would he?

As he led the way, he thought of how upset Koopie Koo must've been to start crying like that. He meant her no harm, but he had to do this. Hopefully, by tomorrow, he'd be able to finally tell her...

* * *

The trip through Rogueport Sewers was strange and somewhat... romantic. The dirty water didn't smell as bad as it used to, and the dusk of above wasn't making it as dark. If anything, it made it more enchanting. The last time they came through there, Vivian almost fell in the water, and Koops took a wrong turn, but that wasn't the case this time. 

It wasn't long before they found the right pipe out and made their way... somewhere. Vivian felt a wave of nostalgia pass over her as she took in the familiar scenery. Frankly's house no longer had that awful sign telling of their absence on the door, and there wasn't a Bandit in sight.

The center of town now had a soft, warm feeling to it. She remembered herself hunching over in distress by the barrels after her things were stolen. She felt so down and out back then... But everything was different now. In just a few week's time, she'd found that not everything stayed bad forever.

"Here we are," Koops said, going over to a store she'd never seen.

"But this is a shop..." She peeked in through the window. "Are we supposed to be picking up something?"

He shook his head. "No, not that way. Come over here. It's for special occasions."

"Special occasions? For what? What happened?"

"Nothing," he laughed. "Just come with me. You'll see what I mean."

Confused and uncertain, Vivian cautiously followed him through an alleyway. She lingered behind, only her trust persuading her to keep going. He seemed to know the way pretty well, only stopping to allow her to catch up. As they reached the back, Vivian noticed they were in an alley near a flight of stairs.

"Come on," Koops urged.

He walked over to the staircase, motioning for her to come over. She was about to oblige when a door from upstairs slammed open and two buff Piantas appeared. They looked pretty official, wearing sunglasses and expensive attire. Panicking, she took refuge behind some barrels, hoping Koops would do the same.

"Ah, well look over here!" said Tony, as they made their way down. "It's dat Koopa guy! We got everythin' ready for youse, just like da boss said."

"So what'cha need?" Vinny pulled out dozens of expensive tickets. "Ticket to da mainland? Excess Express? Glitzville? Cruise around da world?"

Tony thumped the palm tree on his head. "Vinny, shut it already. He never said he wanted to do business, just a favor. Boss said youse was comin' with a friend, so where is he?"

Koops looked at the barrels. "_She's_ over there."

Vinny peered over to where he was looking. Seeing Vivian's hat, he approached her. "Oh, I see! He's got a little dame!"

The siren was nervous, to say the least. "Um, I'm sorry... I don't think we've met..."

"Well, I've never seen anythin' quite like you before." He gently fingered her necklace. "Aw, youse just as pretty as pretty can be, ain't ya?"

Vivian blushed at that. There was nothing she loved more than being told she was pretty.

"Come on, dame," called Tony. "Youse da guest of honor here. No need to be shy."

"Guest of honor?"

"Of course!" He went on, as Vinny showed her to the table. "Dat Koopa friend of yours arranged dis little meeting between you and him."

Not only did this refuse to answer her question, but his comment confused her even more. She sat down and eyed Koops, who only smiled._ Just what was he up to?_

"Now, wese gonna bring out a special meal for youse, just like da boss said!"

"Dat's right! A heepin' helpin' of Mushrooms!" added Vinny.

"No, you dimwit!" Tony shouted, making Vivian flinch. "Da _special_ meal he had prepared! Dis guy and his dame helped Mario save da world, so who're we not to give 'em da best treatment ever? Dat's da whole reason we're even out here!"

"Alright, alright! I'll go get it, sheesh..." muttered the other Pianta, going into the store's backdoor.

"Oh, give 'em a few minutes, youse guys. He ain't exactly da sharpest tool in da shed, y'know."

Koops nodded with understanding, while Vivian looked on in confusion. She was oblivious to the matter at hand, not to mention everyone was being so vague about it. _What was the big secret?_

It wasn't long before Vinny brought out a steaming, hot plate of Spaghetti. The melted cheese oozed all over the pasta, making it look irresistible. The smell of cheddar and spaghetti sauce filled the area as the food was brought to them. Vivian could hardly wait to try it, and Koops looked pretty excited, too. For some reason, he wouldn't stop smiling.

"This is really nice," she said. "It smells great."

"Not to mention it tastes even better!" replied Tony, adding drinks, breadsticks, and fancy napkins to their dinner.

The two started on the Spaghetti, Vivian following Koops' every move. He noticed she was staring and smiled, playfully slurped up a string of their dinner. Vivian tried to do the same, but the string was too long and hit her face before she finished it. Koops laughed and wiped the pasta off.

"I'd say a nice rendezvous calls for some nice music," said Vinny.

"Yeah, if you guys wouldn't mind..." Koops said, nodding.

Almost on cue, Tony pulled out a ukulele and began playing soothing music. It not only fit the mood, but had a soft, exotic tint to it. Piantas _were_ from the tropical islands, after all; why shouldn't their services be? Koops felt like he was at a fancy island resort, instead of the alley of a scorned town. Vivian seemed to be enjoying it, too. She idly ate the warm, cheesy pasta, careful not to get anything on her beloved dress. Tony and Vinny mostly fawned over her while they continued strumming the ukuleles.

He stabbed his fork in a meatball stirred it around in the pasta, offering it to her. Vivian wasn't the least bit reluctant in accepting it.

"Ah, now ain't that sweet?" said Vinny. "Y'know, youse two make quite the couple."

"Couple?" Vivian laughed, as if the thought seemed ridiculous.

Koops laughed nervously and frowned. _So, this was it. It was now or never, and if he didn't say anything tonight, he wouldn't have the nerve to do it again._

He took a deep breath and prepared for the worst...

"You know, sometimes I think about all the crazy stuff we did with Mario. I don't think I've ever done anything like that before I met him."

"Me neither. It was fun sometimes... but scary, too."

"I remember when I first met him. It was really an honor, and in Petalburg, of all places. I thought it was some kind of a sign and decided to go with him. I met many people and went through so much, I felt like I was getting better all the time. I learned things about myself I never would've if I'd stay home. What about you?"

Vivian shrugged, not sure her answer was so true. "I guess I learned a little..."

He bit his lip and tried something else. "Well... Remember when _we_ first met?"

"In Twilight Town?"

"No... Boggly Woods. That's the first time I ever saw you."

She didn't have any good memories of the place; Beldam's yelling and Mario's assault ruined any chance of that. Coincidentally, the very necklace she now wore was what started all the trouble.

"You probably don't remembering seeing me. I was kinda hanging back while Mario and Goombella..."

He suddenly stopped, realizing he was about to step on a nerve. Making her relive defeat was no way to admit anything to her. Vivian sucked up a strip of Spaghetti, waiting for him to continue.

He started over. "There was something different about you. Unlike your sisters, you actually seemed nice. It was like you were in with the wrong crowd, or something. You didn't look too happy, either... I wanted to see if I could help, but you ran off too fast."

_In with the wrong crowd...? Yeah, that was a good way to put it. But there was nothing else she could do. The trio of sisters had always been looking for the Crystal Stars, and to abandon them at that point would've left her alone and exposed... She liked how he noticed that. _

"And when we saw you again in Twilight Town, I was really surprised, especially after how much you helped Mario. We were a little intimidating, but you were still trying to make yourself a better person."

Her face saddened at that. Little did he know that helping Mario never would've crossed her mind if she'd known who he was. The entire thing was just a huge mistake. ...Some friend she was.

Koops noticed her frown, and gently touched her shoulder. "I admire you. It takes a lot of courage to do what you did."

_Courage? She had courage? And he admired her? Beldam always said she was weak and useless... Was it possible she was wrong about that, too? _

"It was like with you, we were complete. Everybody had a close friend; Mario and Goombella, Flurrie and Bobbery, even Waffles and Ms. Mowz made a pretty good team. I figured we could be one, too. Maybe something more..."

"Something more? Like what?"

"...Uh, we've always been good friends, but I was wondering..." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that..."

Distraught, he sighed. _Nothing was working. He was so much of a coward, he couldn't even get his words straight..._ _But he had to try._ _It was a once in a lifetime chance meeting her, but nothing would make him happier than having her affection. Even if she turned it down, he'd understand. He just wanted her to be happy._

_He had to say something true, honest, and from his heart. Looking at her dress, he was struck with the perfect idea..._

"You really remind me of my mom."

"I do?" She smiled at such a crazy thought. "No, I bet she was a lot prettier than me."

He smiled, stirring the Spaghetti. "No, you're just as pretty, and you act like her, too. You're soft and sweet, kind and gentle... You even sound like her."

She kept smiling, thinking it was merely the dress... Until she noticed how serious Koops looked.

"Being with you makes me... happy. And being near you reminds me of her. I know she's never coming back, but you make it seem like she's still here..."

Vivian suddenly felt bad. He really _did_ think they looked similar, but it was only the because of the dress. Now she felt dirty wearing it. It was a reminder of his mother, and she desecrated it by acting like it was her own... She was so awful sometimes.

"I think that's another reason why I like you so much. I mean... I probably I shouldn't say that anymore..."

"...Why's that?"

He squinted his eyes, as if saying the words caused him great pain. _But there was no turning back. He had to say them now, or he'd never get another chance!_

"...I... I love you..."

She nearly dropped her breadstick. "You... love _me_...?"

He looked up with worried eyes. "...I do... I didn't think it was a big deal at first... but I was wrong... I've always thought you were beautiful."

Vivian didn't respond; she just stared at him, long and hard. Her concealed face was had to read. Why did she have to be so vague like that? At this point, even Tony and Vinny stopped playing, as if to add tension. Without any music, the whole moment came to a screeching halt.

_So, it was true? After so many imposters and fakes, she'd found someone strong, sweet, and true. It was passion like none other. The kind that took over a thousand years to find._ _A simple, ordinary Koopa asking for her? She was flattered and honored for someone,__** anyone**__, to take interest. Not to mention, she'd been feeling quite fond of him herself._ _She'd be a fool to refuse... _

Vivian finally sighed and looked away, playing with her hair. Koops lowered his head, heartbroken. The answer must've been 'no'...

"...I understand if you didn't want--"

Before he could finish, Vivian gently grabbed his face and kissed his nose. It was just like in his dream, but her lips were so warm and soft on his snout. It tingled and almost made him sneeze. It was a feeling no dream could ever copy.

Letting go, she flashed a smiled he'd never seen before. It was one of true bliss, not of uncertainty or confusion.

"Does that answer your question?"

"So you mean... you feel the same?" His tail started thumping on the wooden chair.

She twirled a finger in a curl. "If you'll have me..."

_So that was it! It wasn't a dream, was it? No, this was real!_ _Maybe he was braver than he thought!_ Although excited, Koops had to remain calm, due to the fear of embarrassing himself.

"...I was afraid you'd say no..."

"How could I? You're too sweet. But..." she frowned. "How can you love someone like me? I'm not like you."

"I don't care. I came to terms with that a long time ago. I'm... actually glad you're different."

Her smile returned. "At least you're being honest."

As she said that, Tony and Vinny started playing again, practically picking up where they left off. Koops didn't know what to do next until he remembered something. The one thing that'd been bothering him ever since the first time he saw her...

"Can I... see under your hat?"

His question made her smile. No one had ever asked that before, and she found a little surprising that he would now. The results would've proved quite interesting...

"Sure, if you want to."

Koops wasn't sure if he was ready to. What if what he saw wasn't as beautiful? Could he go on knowing that she had no eyes, or more than two? What if he turned to stone, or became cursed?

Regardless, he decided to take a chance and look. Lifting her up her hat, her curls fell over her face, hiding it once again. He took his hands and carefully pulled it away, placing it behind her shoulders. For the first time since they met, he looked into her alluring eyes...

Her pupils were the reddest of any red he'd ever seen. It was like taking everything of that color and combining it to make her eyes. They were romantic like roses, burning like fire, piercing like blood. He felt he could've been lost in them forever. The rarest rubies in the world dulled in comparison.

"Wow," he mouthed in awe. "Your eyes are beautiful. Why do you hide them?"

Vivian was stunned. _It couldn't be true..._ _He was actually looking in her eyes, yet he remained unaffected by her tempting stare. Her infatuation spell wasn't working, and the only time that happened was when the target was truly in love..._

_Perhaps, that was the case._

It was a wonderful moment. Just when she thought things couldn't get any better, each day with him proved her wrong. So, she finally got the happy ending she so desperately wished for, and Koops did, too. Would they live happy ever after like they did in the fairy tales? How would their friends react? What would the people in the Petalburg say?

...Those were all questions she could worry about later. For once, she wouldn't worry about anything. Right now, being under the stars on such a warm, romantic night with a special someone was good enough. The music from Tony and Vinny's ukuleles seemed to drift off into the night, turning the entire West Side into something indescribably beautiful.

She knew this moment wouldn't last forever, but it didn't matter. Trivial things such as time and location were a blur to her as she looked to the sparkling heavens, showing them her fiery eyes for the first time...

* * *

The house was quiet, the night was dark, and the time was right. Everything was going according to plan, yet she feared for the worst. She knew about the star-crossed lovers and their demise. No one was able to stop it, which resulted in pain and disaster. If such a thing were to ever occur again, there was no telling what would happen. She needed to see what happened to the lovers and why they were punished. 

She scurried upstairs, her white fur glowing in the moonlight. Her acute sense of smell quickly led her to a room, where she looked high and low for something she'd never seen before. The scent of its carrier clouded her nose, but the true owner's smell would come through soon enough. After a few minutes of searching, she found it in a drawer.

"So, this is it. Yes, it is." She gripped it in her tiny hands. "The diary of Princess Lillian, mentioning her secret lover. Mmm, this should tell me everything."

It was an old book, with singed papers, a worn spine, and faded dialogue. But she was sure she could still read it. The tale of the star-crossed lovers... It was one of the few things she didn't know, but intended to find out. She opened the first page, careful not to tear anything and began reading...

* * *

_**Authoress' Notes**__**: ARGGGGH!**__ How dare I use a clichéd Disney moment in this story?! ...Oh, well. Lady and Tramp _do _remind me of the two, so why not? Next chapter's content shall reveal Lillian and her mystery man! Sweet. :)_


	22. Taboo: Part I

_**Authoress' Notes: **Well, the climax is over, so now it's time for the aftermath! The next three Chapters take place 1,000 years earlier, mind you. Surprises will come at you non-stop! Oh, and there's only 8 chapters left. _

* * *

**_Better Off Alone _**

_**Chapter 22:** Taboo (Part I) _

* * *

_In the fight against the evil demon, there were many rebellions. Many tried to stand up to her power, but were overwhelmed by her servants and monsters. All hope for ever conquering her was lost... Until the day the Four Heroes appeared. _

_Each hero was strong, cunning, and brave, willing to make any sacrifice for the good of the world. They fought hundreds of battles, prevailing over the demons underlings, one by one. They were a force to be reckoned with and their fame soon spread all throughout the land. Stories of their success was told over and over again, quickly becoming legend. With only courage did they go on, hoping to one day banish the demon to the darkness from whence it came. _

* * *

It was just after dusk when he strolled back into this rural town, hidden by the nearby forest and its natural settings. 

He was a Koopa; an ordinary, mundane sort that no one would normally pay the least bit of attention to. With an unruly tuft of dark brown hair and a scruffy beard to match, he sported his usual outfit of a black vest over a plain, white shirt. It was topped off with his lucky red handkerchief, given to him by his late father. He wore it with pride everywhere he went.

Countless scars marked his body, ranging from all sizes, shapes, and kinds. Big and small to long and short, ranging from Hooktail's claws to the whip of a thieving Bandit--He had them all.

Many called him "The Stalwart Koopa", due to his immense bravery and strength. In all reality, he wished they'd just call him Kevin; that was his real name. Short and sweet, it was one only his comrades knew him by. A blood-stained sword occupied his shoulder as he strolled into town, catching up with them for a good night's sleep.

It wasn't long before he arrived at the local inn, where they were laying low for a few days. No sooner had he opened the door and flopped on the couch, someone called out to him from nowhere.

"And where have_ you_ been since this morning?"

He ignored the voice, tossing his sword aside. "Not now, Teresa. I'm not in the mood..."

His disgruntled answer brought a Boo out of hiding. She glared at him with cold, black eyes under short, purple hair. A blue-and-white striped hat was her trademark in attire. She carried a mystical wooden staff, stabbing it firmly into the floor.

Her famous name was "The Boo Heroine", known for her beauty and vanity. Charming, swift, and magical, she had a lonely past of hatred and solitude. She'd come from the faraway Twilight Town with a heart as cold as ice. It was rumored she used to use her powers for evil, but upon meeting the brave Koopa, she softened and joined him in his cause. From that moment on, the two were rumored to have become lovers.

"Not in the mood for what? Being worried about?" She poked him with the crescent moon on top of her staff. "...I should turn you into a mindless Shy Guy for saying that."

In response, he snatched her staff. "Yeah, right. I still think you shoplifted this from somewhere."

She snatched it back. "...Where I got it is none of your business."

Before Kevin could retort, a Goomba appeared from the back room. "Oh, what are you two going on about now? Can't you see I'm trying to read?"

"Yes," the Koopa sarcastically mumbled. "Let all the world shut up, for the Great Goombertha can't read!"

Everyone called her "The Wise Goomba", 'wise' being an understatement. With a ponytail as orange as the setting sun, she glared at him though tiny reading glasses. A single pink ribbon tied into a bow around her neck was her only form of clothing. Regardless, she was young and very attractive. Countless Goombas had shown romantic interest, but she always turned them down, saying knowledge was her only love.

"I'd like to get some reading in on our down time, and you're really making it hard to concentrate."

"If that's the case, go outside. I swear, I can't sneeze without you coming in here and biting my head off..."

"I'd prefer to read _inside_, thank you. Besides, I think I'm close to making a breakthrough about the Crystal Stars--"

"Yeah, yeah. How long do we have to stay in this dump again?" Kevin interrupted, picking his nose.

She rolled her eyes. "Petalburg isn't a dump. It's a very beautiful place, much more natural than some other spots we've been to."

"Uh-huh. That's another way of saying it's boring."

"Just so you know... I used to live in this town..."

Kevin coughed loudly and stuttered, realizing the odd voice. It belonged to the fourth and final hero; "The Toad Hero" was his title.

Like Kevin, he'd seen his fair share of battles, but had no scars to show. Instead, a blood-red bandana was tied around his blue-dotted head, with two long straps dangling to the floor. It'd been a present from his town to bring strength and good luck. Donning a tattered, green vest over a black shirt, he appeared rougher than the average Toad. Although meek, his bravery more than made up for it.

"See, now look what you've done! You've offended Aaron!"

"It's something called a 'joke'. Maybe you oughta try looking it up in one of your stupid dictionaries."

She frowned. "It's something called 'insensitive'. You need to stop being such a loser!"

Aaron stood between them. "Aw, c'mon now. Don't fight like this again..."

"I'm not trying to fight; I just wanna know when we're leaving! Goombertha said she already knew the secret of the Crystal Stars, so why can't we go already?"

"I said I _think_ I'm close to making a breakthrough. Even so, we can't just run in there without a plan! We'd be killed for sure!"

"Not to mention it's getting late," said Teresa, looking outside. "You know it's not safe to travel after dark. Let's leave in the morning."

"Oh, come on!" protested Kevin. "Like we haven't fought after dark before!"

Goombertha narrowed her eyes. "You obviously don't see the difference between optional and essential--"

She was rudely interrupted by the snorting of a pair of monstrous nostrils. Startled, she turned to face a smirking Yoshi.

Although he wasn't one of the Four Heroes, Nero had been Kevin's trusty steed for as long as anyone could remember. The two were more like brothers, rather than hero and sidekick. His skin was black as coal, having bright, yellow boots to contrast it. A large pair of white, feathery wings sprouted from the base of his saddle. He was also known for his odd ability to breathe fire, making him very rare on all three accounts. His attitude was somewhat tougher than the average happy-go-lucky Yoshi. For some reason, his brows were always frowning.

"Nero! That's very rude! You don't do that when other people are talking!" she scolded.

"He's probably hungry," said Teresa.

"Nero's always hungry," scoffed Kevin. "Just ignore it, like I've been telling you."'

The Yoshi frowned and snuffed loudly in disapproval, smoke coming from his nostrils.

"Anyway, why don't we go out and patrol a little? They say this dump gets pillaged every other week. It wouldn't hurt to do a little routine check, right?"

"Nice try, Kevin, but you'll have to do better than that. I'm not going out in the middle of the night like this." Goombertha paused before cutting her eyes at him. "...And stop calling it a dump."

Aaron nodded. "It's safer to stay here until morning. Fighting at night's no way to go..."

"He's right. Even though I can see out there, I still wouldn't take any chances on you guys," added Teresa.

Kevin could easily see it was 3 to 1, so he shrugged. "Alright. I guess you guys win. No point in being a leader when everyone overrules you, anyway..."

"Stop acting like a wuss and use your head for once. You can't always get your way," said Goombertha.

"No wonder; It's almost impossible under these conditions," he smugly responded, leaving for his room.

After a brief pause, Aaron asked. "...Think he's mad?"

"Oh, you know him," responded the Goomba. "He's always gotta make things difficult. Just let him go to bed; it's better that way."

Kevin's haughty attitude may've been a joke to them, but Teresa could tell when he felt troubled. He usually acted more aggressive in order to hide his problems. As Aaron and Goombertha looked on, she faded away into nothingness.

* * *

Teresa slowly reappeared in Kevin's room, expecting him to be asleep. Instead, he was laying on his bed, chucking daggers at a badly-drawn picture of Hooktail on the wall. He missed almost every throw, as Nero used his tongue to return them for another try. 

"Kevin, what's the matter?" She joined him on the bed. "You seem uptight... more than usual."

"'Uptight' she says," he laughed. "We're facing the biggest enemy of our lives, where millions of people before us failed... Now it's our turn, and you guys are just as motionless as a bunch of legless Goombas."

She laughed. "Of course. I mean, what would the Four Heroes be without a leader?"

A dagger hit Hooktail's nose. "The Three Losers and some Dried Shrooms."

That joke always made him laugh, although the others never found it amusing. Nero rolled his eyes and blew a raspberry at his response. This earned him a pillow to the face from Kevin. As he eyed Teresa again, she began stroking her staff.

"It won't be long now. The final battle is fast approaching... Are you sure you're ready for it?"

"I've been ready longer than anyone I know."

"After we defeat the Shadow Queen, they'll be nothing left to do but disband."

"Disband?" he scoffed. "Only wimps disband. We're not gonna do that."

"Then what _will _we do, Mr. Hot Shot?"

"What else? We'll do what we've been doing for the last 10 years." He threw one last dagger at the dragon, hitting her right in the gut. "We'll be together."

* * *

**_"Dear Diary,_**

**_I can't remember the last time I wrote. I feel like it's been decades. Probably because I've been losing track of time. After a huge ambush last month, things've been pretty hectic. I counted 20 more rebels intrude just this morning. We killed most of them, but a few got away. It's just as well; they'll be back tomorrow and the servants will kill them like the ones before. Being who I am, I should enjoy this kind of thing... But should killing others like this actually be considered pleasure? It is to us, but I don't know. It's all so confusing." _**

* * *

She leaned over the edge of a large moat, watching the dreary darkness of earth above. The entire castle and city was underground in an endless shadow of darkness. Dark Boos flew about, haunting the place with their incessant giggling. Normally, that would make any of the inhabitants happy, but not her... She wasn't happy; she'd never really been happy with what the Shadow Queen did. 

The water's reflection showed a Shadow Siren, her long, green hair cascading into the water. With a white lily on her green-and-white hat, she was known as the infamous Flora in hearsay. But everyone who was anyone knew her true title: Princess Lillian.

She looked at the dress she wore; it was beautiful, littered with emeralds and opals on its already overly-green surface. Roses decorated the collar, with daisies, blossoms, and tulips holding the hem of the dress together. Vines and stems were wrapped around her waist, keeping the structure intact. To top it all off, a golden tiara embedded with jade jewels sat atop her hat's rim. Such attire was beyond valuable, but Lillian could've cared less if she went bare.

Then again, things she used to love so much meant nothing to her lately. Day in and day out, everything was handed to her on a silver platter and she never had to lift a finger... As glamorous as it looked, being a Shadow Princess wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She was never allowed to do any sort of work, had to abide by strict rules, and couldn't leave the palace without an escort. Even then, she wasn't allowed to go far.

She heard the palace was once a wonderful city, freely above ground... until the Queen destroyed it. Now it was simply the midsection of the palace, splitting it up between Gloomtail's room and the deeper chambers that lead to Her Highness' throne. A pair of Chain Chomps guarded the moat, making sure no intruders made it past the bridges. The Riddle Tower was just as bleak as ever. It bothered her how it used to be an observatory, where people could actually admire the _sky_.

"Lillian? Lilly! Lilly!"

She looked up to see another Shadow Siren like herself. She wore a silky, green cloak, which sparkled a soft viridian in the dim light of the chamber. Her hair was a mess of aquamarine curls, one particularly long one serving as a ponytail. She wore the same hat as Lillian, except her flower was a cherry blossom. She was known as an advisor, one of the privileged few in charge of the princesses' well-being. She'd been responsible for Lillian's safety since youth. Even though there were at least 10 others, Kelly was seen as the most competent. Carefree and lighthearted, she was more of a friend to Lillian than anything.

"What are you doing? You should be in your room. You're totally exposed out here."

"Exposed?" she scoffed. "It's kinda hard to be exposed when you've got the entire palace looking out for you..."

"Oh, come on."

"'Come on', what?"

"You're the Queen's daughter, and you need to start acting like one. You've got jewels, money, a palace, and her as your mother. If that's not enough to be happy about, I don't know what is!"

"Maybe freedom?"

"Oh, yes," she sarcastically remarked. "I forgot all about that..."

"Kelly, I've never a thing on my own. I've never had to make my own food, wash my clothes, or do a single chore! My life is practically being lived for me!"

"But you're a princess. You're not supposed to have responsibilities like that."

"Then maybe I don't want to be a princess anymore..."

Kelly threw a rock across the moat. "I know you don't mean that. Go feed some prisoners to Gloomtail. That'll make you feel much better."

She groaned at the idea. "I never enjoyed doing that. It comes back to haunt me..."

"Haunt you?" She laughed. "They're prisoners. Who cares about them?"

"...You obviously don't get where I'm coming from."

"Well, as a princess, you're inclined to have anything you want. Why don't you ask Her Highness for this 'freedom' you long for?"

She looked at the murky water. "It's not that simple. Mother wouldn't give me a word in edgewise."

"Why's that?"

"She takes things too seriously now. All she cares about are those stupid Crystal Stars. She never lets them out of her sight, and we're always hurting someone with them. It's almost... unfair. Having them was nice at first, but is it worth killing people to be in charge?"

"Your sisters don't seem to mind, and neither does anyone else in the palace."

Letting out another sigh, she pet a passing Chain Chomp. "Well, I guess maybe _I'm_ the one out of place..."

The advisor scratched her head, running through her countless mass of curls. This made her think of something. "Lillian, you weren't nearly as... estranged before Princess Vivian was born. Do you think she has anything to do with this?"

"Well..." She hesitated. "Maybe a little."

Kelly grinned. "If you ask me, I think she's made you a bit of a pansy."

Lillian continued stroking the Chomp's steel-like head. "Oh, be quiet. I'm just trying to be a good role model. She'd be horrified if she saw me feed Gloomtail..."

"I understand you're trying to be the good guy here, but she's gonna have to grow up eventually. You can't keep her sheltered forever."

"But she doesn't know a thing about what we do. All she knows is happiness, and she barely understands that."

"Yeah, but you were the same way, and now look. You're famous, respected--"

"Feared and loathed?"

"Well, maybe you don't get now for a reason. Maybe this is one of those things you have to grow into." She pat her back. "I'm sure you'll feel better about it sooner or later."

"...I suppose so," was the dubious reply.

Kelly began walking away, soon fading into the shadows and out of sight. Once again, Lillian was alone to sit and think about her unhappiness. She turned to face the moat and sighed. Kelly was wrong; this feeling of inadequacy wasn't just going to go away. Something had to be done... And she would have to do it herself.

* * *

Kevin woke up late, as usual. He claimed he was a hard sleeper, but everyone knew he was just lazy. After taking a quick bath, and getting into an all-out brawl with Nero over the last sandwich from breakfast, he went outside. Opening the door, he couldn't help but notice everyone loitering about, instead of getting ready to leave. Goombertha was reading one of her silly books, Aaron practiced his archery, and Teresa sat admiring the scenery of Petal Meadows. At his side, Nero snorted in disapproval. 

He strolled over to Goombertha. "So... What do we have planned for today? Gonna raid the Shadow Palace, slash everything in sight, and--?"

"Go away, Kevin. We're not leaving until tomorrow."

"What?!"

"Don't take it out on me. Things aren't exactly going according to plan."

"What's that supposed to mean?! The fate of the world is at stake here, and you _still _don't know anything about the Crystal Stars?!"

"For the umpteenth time, we need a plan. If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it right. We've already tried _your_ idea, busting through the front door with a bunch of mindless rebels." She scowled. "Mind you, most of them are dead now."

He shrugged. "So we got caught off-guard by some stupid Dark Boos... We just need more firepower next time."

"Hopefully, there won't be a next time if we sneak in. Teresa can probably whip up an invisibility spell, but who knows how long it'll last...?"

He grabbed Aaron's extra bow and arrow, aiming at a bull's-eye on a tree. "We've been planning this for years, but now's the time where it all really counts! All I have to do is grab the Stars and she's done for!"

"Do you even know where they are?"

"Nero could sniff 'em out. Shouldn't be too hard, considering how bad the place smells."

His Yoshi stood triumphantly at this, his wings spread pompously and hands at his hips. Goombertha stifled a laugh, which made him growl.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and get us some supplies? We're gonna need it for the road ahead."

Ignoring her, Kevin launched the arrow, not only missing the bull's-eye completely, but piercing Teresa's hat to the ground.

She sighed and grabbed the arrow, brushing back her messy hat hair. "Kevin, the point of shooting something is to look at the target, not your fingers."

Aaron shot a perfect bull's-eye. "...Uh, yeah. I think you should stick to your sword..."

Nero huffed and scowled at Kevin, who gave him the same annoyed look. Apparently, no one wanted them around.

Disgruntled, he began to leave. "Since you guys are just lazing around here, I might as well go back to Central Harbor and actually _make_ something out of myself."

"Yes, but don't stay there all day. You know what happens when we're separated--"

"Yeah, yeah, Teresa... we know; there's safety in numbers, don't trust strange, cloaked people, and watch out for Bandits. Don't worry, I got it."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he grumbled to himself as he hopped onto Nero's saddle and flew off. Their departure left a hint of animosity in the air.

Goombertha slammed her book down. "That knucklehead... Why can't he stay put for more than a few seconds? I really don't know why we put up with him."

Teresa fingered the arrow. "Oh, let him go. What harm could he possibly do in Central Harbor?"

Aaron shuddered. "It's not what_ he_ can do to it, it's what_ it_ can do to him..."

That may've been true, but Teresa knew Kevin better than that. He didn't earn his arrogance and all those scars for nothing. He'd fought Chomps with his bare hands, survived a Bullet Bill barrage to the shell, and defeated _two_ Atomic Boos with his eyes closed... You don't run across a Koopa like that every day.

* * *

It was morning, but it was impossible to tell from the Shadow Palace. Lillian only knew because the servants were up. She watched them through a single window in her room, which was in a hidden region of the palace. The only way in or out was going through the shadows. The interior was beyond bleak to the naked eye, but it suited her perfectly. What was a Shadow Siren if she couldn't see in absolute darkness? 

Sitting before her golden-rimmed mirror on the dresser, she combed her hair with a diamond-studded brush. As a Shadow Princess, it was her duty to be up early, as well. Getting dressed was simple; the servants always had several dresses ready for her. Although, when it came to wearing jewelry, she found herself less than ecstatic. She had a countless array of rare trinkets overflowing from her jewelry box, but the mirror's reflection showed no happiness.

Grudgingly slipping on an opal bracelet, she turned to fetch her tiara from the satin sheets of her bed. They were emerald, of course, to match her natural affection with plants. Not surprisingly, bundles of flowers and vines decorated the poles of her canopy. It was possible she had nearly every flower ever known somewhere in her room. Once finished, she faded into the shadows, only to reappear in another room similar to hers.

Despite it being just as furnished, the room seemed tailored to a toddler. Stuffed toys littered the floor, while smiling stars had been painted on the walls. The inhabitant had a canopy just like Lillian's, aside from being pink and full of Yoshi dolls. Although there wasn't a soul in sight, giggling could be heard from the empty bed.

Smiling knowingly, Lillian approached and ripped off the sheets. "Gotcha!"

"Oh no! You found me!" squealed Vivian, as she appeared from the shadows with a Yoshi doll. "Good morning!"

She was already dressed, as it was the servants' duty to do so. Her dress was poofy and lacy, decorated in pink ribbons and rubies. It wasn't much compared to Lillian's, but she was still a baby, after all.

"Good morning. And how are you?"

"Hungwy!"

"No, no," she laughed. "You're supposed to say, 'I'm fine, and you?'."

"But I_ am_ hungwy."

Lillian picked her up. "Then how about some nice, yummy Mushrooms?"

Vivian nodded happily, squeezing the Yoshi doll enough to make it spew out its tongue with a cheerful ''Yoshi!".

* * *

With Vivian in hand, Lillian made her way through the palace's front section, passing servants, guards, advisors, and prisoners who were being hauled off somewhere. Each palace member greeted her with a gracious bow, whereas she acknowledged them. But deep down, she was tired of everyone doing that. Vivian was lucky they didn't do it to her. They treated her like a child, often complementing on how cute she was. 

As she exited the second staircase, Kelly appeared. "Hi, Vivian!"

"Hi, Kelwy!"

That made her laugh. She never could say her name right.

"Kelly, have you seen Marilyn or Beldam lately?"

"Not since last week. Sorry."

"Typical... They always disappear like this..."

"You can't blame them. Since that ambush, everyone's been disappearing like crazy. Some come back, while others... don't."

"...You think anything's happened to them, do you?"

"Yeah, right. I know Marilyn's being taken care of, and Beldam's just a lost cause. She probably won't be back for the next century. You might as well sneak out with Vivian now. I'm sure you won't get caught."

She laughed. "Maybe later. We were actually getting breakfast, believe it or not."

Before Kelly could reply, a young servant appeared, her status distinctive by her plain, blue dress. "Uh, Princess Lillian?"

"Yes? What's wrong?"

"It's Her Highness. She demands to see you right away."

She eyed Kelly for an answer, but she only shrugged. "You don't think it could be for a punishment, do you?"

"Impossible," she whispered. "No one's ever caught me outside the palace walls..."

She handed her Vivian. "It's probably nothing... especially this early in the morning."

The servant played with one of her cyan pigtails. "She says it's about Princess Vivian."

Lillian frowned at that. This had to the eighth time in three days she wanted to talk about her. Regardless, she muttered a quick 'thank you', and disappeared.

* * *

The princess reappeared outside the throne room, as it was considered rude otherwise. If there was one thing she hated about visiting her mother, it was the presentation. A pair of servants opened the huge doors for her, after bowing, of course. Another pair of servants bowed upon her entrance. She ascended the staircase and approached the throne, where the Shadow Queen awaited her. 

The Queen herself was the definition of darkness. Although she looked like a regular Shadow Siren, she was anything but. With a much taller, sleeker appearance, she was draped in a long, black cloak, concealing a dress of royal purple. Her long, lavender hair nearly touched the floor, complementing her darker attire. It was rumored to've been poisonous to touch. No one'd ever seen her eyes, many believing doing so would result in a horrible curse. Her most recognized feature was the prominent, ruby-encrusted crown she wore, never donning a standard hat. She once said Vivian would wear the same crown one day. Servants stood at her sides, ready to obey her every whim.

Lillian bowed. "You called for me, Mother?"

"Yes... I've been hearing some interesting things about you. Very interesting." She spoke with a calm, yet deadly tone that made her next move unpredictable.

"Interesting?"

"I fear I haven't been hearing much on Vivian, though. How is her progress coming along?"

_Progress?_ Lillian could laugh at the word. She hadn't taught Vivian even a single spell.

"I'm sorry, Mother. There hasn't been much time to teach her adequately," she lied.

"Once again, you bring me another excuse? I'm finding this to be quite deplorable on your part. She's very capable, and as the new heir, quite valuable. I'm trusting you to bring out the best in her abilities."

"Yes, Mother, but don't you think she's a little... young?"

"Vivian may be young, but she's very powerful. Should I have to remind you why?"

Lillian lowered her head, already knowing. "No, Mother. I'm sure the Amethyst Star will... make her a fine queen."

"Yes, and she will have more than enough power to rule this pathetic existence. Regardless, I need you to help her get an early start." She stood, in order to assert her point. "No more excuses, Lillian. As my most trusted heir, I expect to uphold your duties at all times. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mother."

"I should hope so." She resumed sitting, gesturing for a servant to bring her a chalice. "Oh, and Lillian?"

"Yes, Mother?"

"...Don't become a disappoint like your sisters. I really hoped you and Vivian would be... worthwhile."

"...Yes, Mother."

* * *

Kelly sat in the main entrance room, waiting for Lillian to return. Before her was the grand entrance to the palace, famous for how many came through, but never exited. Vivian wandered about in the spacious area, eventually coming across a local Dark Bones. It entertained her by falling apart and reassembling itself. The Shadow Palace homed many dark variants of different species, this one being no exception. It wasn't long before Lillian reappeared, looking annoyed. Kelly automatically sensed something was wrong. 

"Uh, Lilly? What's the matter? What happened with Her Highness?"

She took Vivian. "Nothing. I'm going out now."

"What? This early in the morning?"

"But Wilwian, I'm still hungwy," whined Vivian.

"I know. We'll get you something on the way to the harbor."

Kelly panicked. "Harbor? You mean the Central Harbor? Lilly, I was just joking about earlier. You know we're not allowed anywhere near _that_ place."

She neared the doorway. "Yeah, I know."

"Lilly, please don't tell me you're going to do what I think you are..."

"You've known me since I was a baby. You should already know."

"Lilly, this is crazy! You can't keep goofing off with Vivian this way. Her Highness is going to notice sooner or later!"

"I'll just have to take that chance. If Vivi's to become a cold-blooded ruler, it won't be because of me."

"But what if you're caught? You could be ratted out, for all we know."

The princess ignored her, exiting the gargantuan doors. "Tell Mother I've gone off to a heavily-populated area. She won't send anybody there unless there's trouble. Tell her that. Please?"

"...I can't keep lying for you. If you're caught, we're both in big trouble."

"I know." She inched out, whispering, "I'll be back late, but I promise I won't get caught."

Reluctantly, Kelly nodded. "I just hope you're right..."

* * *

**_"Dear Diary, _**

**_Mother told me to teach Vivi more spells again, but I still think she's too young. I was twice her age before Marilyn taught me my first spell. It's all because of that Amethyst Star, I know. If I had the power, I'd get rid of it and shove it back in her face... But there's only so much I can refuse to do. I decided to sneak out and play with her instead, like always. Everything seemed normal enough; I'd been there before countless times, but I never thought what would happen next would actually... happen." _**

* * *

_**Authoress' Notes:** I've always liked the scarred Koopa the most, so it's only natural he be the overconfident leader. Plus, black Winged Yoshi FTW! Every great hero needs a steed, and I can think of none cooler. Try and guess where this " Central Harbor" is, why don'tcha? _


	23. Taboo: Part II

_**Authoress' Notes:**__ Wow, this has to be the quickest update I've ever made... Anyway, ignore what I said last chapter; t__here're four "Taboo" parts, not three. Also, the Shadow Sirens are color-coded: Ember Sirens are red, Lightning Sirens are yellow, etc. Only 7 more to go! _

* * *

_**Better Off Alone **_

_**Chapter 23:** Taboo (Part II) _

* * *

**_"Dear Diary,_**

_**Every time I go to Central Harbor, I find it hard to believe it was once the beautiful, wealthy town Mother had destroyed. It was said to have many rich natives, with ivory streets and golden lampposts at every corner. This was a little hard to image, since I've never seen it myself. I don't even know the town's original name. The cobblestone of main area still retained a faded ivory color, while the people who stayed made the best of it. I can't stand that noose platform in the middle of town. I heard it was put there after the town was demolished, meant for... Shadow Sirens.**_ **_But that's beside the point..." _**

* * *

Lillian stood in an alleyway of the infamous town's west side, getting ready to walk amongst "normal folk". She carefully wrapped herself in an old, long cloak to keep from being spotted. Shadow Sirens often did this when leaving the safety of the Shadow Palace, possibly posing as homeless beggars or knife-wielding robbers. People often avoided those hidden in cloaks, afraid of finding out what lurked underneath... 

She abandoned her overly-decorated dress in a pipe near the palace in order to don the proper appearance of a vagrant. Vivian's dress wasn't as decorated, which made her easy to bundle up and carry around.

As she wandered into the plaza, she browsed through the several items they had set up on wooden carts and shops. Central Harbor was a town most would visit, but not stay; this made it ideal for solicitors. One Toad was selling fresh Bloopers, while a Koopa offered jewelry that was obviously fake. A shady Bandit and Shy Guy duo even had the nerve to try and sell grimy clothes riddled with holes. Other people hung around as street performers, dancing, doing tricks, and other rubbish that annoyed her to no end. Then again, Central Harbor _had_ fallen on hard times.

She finally came across a stand with no one in it, their supply of Mushrooms going to waste. They had normal, Super, Ultra, and even Dried at their disposal, not that anyone would waste money on the shriveled Shrooms. There were no price signs in sight, so maybe they were free...?

"Mushwoom! Mushwoom!" whined Vivian, trying to reach a barrel full of them.

"Okay, hang on," Lillian laughed, handing her an Ultra Shroom. "You're so demanding when you're hungry."

With Vivian satisfied, she began to leave, only to have someone tug on the back of her cloak. Annoyed, she turned to face a large, angry Doogan. He was a rough sort, wearing an eye patch and having a thick, blond goatee to match his hair. He wore a big robe with several neckerchiefs tightly wrapped around his neck. A silver nose ring dangled from his flaring nostrils, lifting with each exhalation. Apparently, he was the shopkeeper.

"...Can I help you?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, you can," he growled. "I didn't see any money for that Ultra Shroom, lady."

"Sorry, I don't have any--"

He pulled her close. "You know how hard it is to get fresh Ultra Shrooms 'round here? Either pay up, or else!"

Lillian yanked her cloak away. "Hey, back off! I said I don't have the money!"

"Then I'll hafta take this instead!" He grabbed Vivian's doll, making her cry. "I think this'll fit the bill quite nicely!"

The princess didn't hesitate to grab the bundles of scarves on his neck, forcing him down to her level. Such strength obviously surprised him.

"Give it back before I _**make**_ you give it back!" she growled, staring daggers at him beneath her hat.

He laughed as if she were joking. "You and what army, little _lady_?"

This "little lady" was about to show him "what army" with the help of her Piranha Plants. She didn't care if her identity was revealed; no one _ever _took anything from Vivian and got away with it, especially this overgrown coward.

"Whoa, whoa! Wait a minute!" called a voice.

Both and Lillian and the shopkeeper looked up to see a Koopa and his Winged Yoshi idly stride over.

"Come now, sir," he calmly said, turning his angry grasp on Lillian into a firm handshake. "I'm sure there's no need to tear the poor woman's arm off. As you can probably see, she's a simple hag, and I'm betting she hasn't eaten in weeks. She's probably disease-ridden, for all we know!"

Lillian's jaw dropped, appalled at his obscene sense of humor. _The very nerve of him saying that! And he acted as if it were true!_ She was about to slap that stupid smile off his face, before he turned slightly to wink at her. ...Was he trying to get her out of trouble?

The shopkeeper looked at him hard. "So, you're sayin' you know this thief?"

The Koopa shrugged. "Unfortunately, I do. She's my poor, little cousin. Sorry for the trouble, but she's not quite right in the head."

"What?"

He whispered to him just loud enough for Lillian to hear. "...Ever since the dreaded Hooktail laid waste to her town, she hasn't been the same. I'm the only one she has left in the whole world."

His Yoshi added to their sob story by wrapping a supportive wing around Lillian and hanging his head.

"Erm..." He fingered his goatee. "I suppose you're right. That Hooktail's a gnarly one, she is. I guess I could let it go this time... But only because you vouched for her. I don't tolerate stealing, no matter what the reason!"

Lillian frowned. _Some sympathy _he _had... _

"Yes, and I don't think anyone should!" Distracting him with his laughing, he carefully took the doll and handed it to Lillian. "Being who I am, I should know."

"All right, Kevin... That Ultra Shroom cost 500 coins, but I guess I owe you for saving Petalburg last week. Got family there, y'know."

"Aw, sure thing. It's always a pleasure to help those in need." He began shoving Lillian off, loudly saying, "Now, let's go home and look at that arm of yours, cuz. Those third-degree burns aren't gonna heal themselves."

"...Where are you taking me?" she whispered.

"Petalburg. We'll be safe there. Just keep going..."

* * *

**_"Dear Diary,_**

**_What happened at Central Harbor was odd, to say the least. I guess maybe I should start being more careful about what I do there. But, about this "Kevin" person... I'd heard of him before; He was one of those Four Heroes who planned on defeating Mother and saving the world. They were our sworn enemies. Marilyn and Beldam fought him on a regularly basis and he nearly beat them within an inch of their lives each time. Imagine what he'd do to me and Vivi..." _**

* * *

Lillian leaned against a tree in Petal Meadows, watching her savior brag to his Yoshi. He slipped him two Ultra Shrooms, eating some himself. Obviously, he'd stolen them from the shopkeeper Doogan. 

"Aw, man! You shoulda seen the look on that guy's face! He was all 'I guess I could let it go this time, but only because you vouched for her!' That was priceless!"

The Yoshi laughed, mimicking the Doogan's deep voice and beard-stroking motion.

"Here." He offered her an Ultra Shroom. "Want one?"

"No thanks... Uh, I guess I should thank you for that back there."

He slyly smirked again. That seemed to be his trademark. "Sure, but you just be careful from now on. I might not be around next time to save ya."

Lillian faked a smile, trying to be as nice as she could. "Yes. Well, next time, could you try to maybe... mind your own business? I knew what I was doing. I didn't need any help."

Kevin's smile disappeared, replaced by a look of intrigue. "Well, _excuse _me for trying to be generous! Guess that'll teach me to never rescue damsels in distress again, huh?"

"Look, I had everything under control. I could've easily taken care of that guy."

He almost laughed. "Yeah, right. Maybe you could've strangled him with that wardrobe of yours..."

This made her mad. "And maybe _you _could've done with a better impression. I'll have you know that I'm _not _a disease-ridden hag!"

"Could've fooled me," he responded coolly.

"Well! Some hero_ you_ are--!"

She was suddenly interrupted by Vivian, as she dropped her Yoshi doll. It let out its "Yoshi!" squeak upon hitting the ground. Nero used his nose to investigate the toy, confused by its structure. It_ looked_ like a Yoshi, and it _sounded_ like a Yoshi, but it sure _wasn't_ a Yoshi. So, what was it? More sniffing soon revealed that the doll not only _didn't _smell like a Yoshi, but it reeked of something else, something much more sinister. This made him growl.

"Nero, what's wrong?" laughed Kevin, handing the toy back to Vivian. "What? You're saying she's in denial because she knows I'm right?"

Lillian scowled at him until Nero started growling at her. Kevin knocked him over the head.

"Cut it out. What's the matter with you? Uh, sorry. I don't know what's come over him. He only acts like that when a Shadow Siren's around." He laughed. "Crazy, huh? I haven't seen any in a good while."

Lillian began to leave. "Yeah... Well, keep that thing on a leash, or something."

"Hey, wait! Not so fast! I didn't even get your name." He stood haughtily. "You're in the presence of a celebrity, y'know."

"Could've fooled me," she said, imitating him.

Now it was Kevin's turn to get mad. "Okay! Fine! Walk away while I'm still talking to you! I understand if you're scared--"

"I'm _not_ scared," she reassured him. "Now, please go away. I don't want anything to do with a sleazy, selfish vagabond like you."

Annoyed, Nero watched as Kevin followed this stranger as they continued to argue. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was to be ignored. His nose told him something wasn't right, and he wasn't going to stop until Kevin knew it. Snorting, he abruptly flew off in a single flap of his large wings. Vivian clapped and giggled at his departure, shouting, "Pwetty Yoshi, fwy! Yay!"

"Hey! I might not know what a 'vague bond' is, but I think you're the same thing!"

"You couldn't be further from right!" yelled Lillian. "And it's 'vagabond'! Not 'vague bond', you dimwit!"

"How would you know?!"

"Listen, _genius!_ If you don't even know the meaning of a word, what makes you think_ I'm_ the same way?!"

"Ha! See? You called me a genius! _Now_ who doesn't know how to use their words?"

Lillian was practically speechless from his display of childish arrogance. "I don't even know why I'm wasting my time with you! Get out of the way!"

"Oh, _great_ comeback!" sarcastically mocked Kevin. "I'm sure the shopkeeper would've been begging for mercy after that!"

"And I'm sure there's a village somewhere looking for their idiot! They're probably missing you already!"

"How do I know that's not you?!"

"Because I'm not some half-witted, snooty jerk, like a certain Koopa!"

"Are you talking about me?!"

_**"Yeah, you!"**_

In the midst of their fighting, Nero's tongue appeared from a tree and tore off Lillian's and Vivian's cloaks, eating them in one gulp. The older princess screamed in shock, while the younger applauded his trick, wanting him to do it again.

Kevin was startled, to say the least. "Princess Flora?!" He jumped back, pulling out his sword. "I should've known! No one'd wear a cloak in this kind of weather! Nero, why didn't you say anything?!"

From a tree branch, Nero could only roll his eyes and groan, slapping his forehead in disgust.

"So, what're you gonna do? Kill me in broad daylight? Do you even have the guts?" she growled, still steamed from their argument. This hadn't been the first time she'd been found out. Although, those who discovered her often ended up dead soon afterwards.

"I'm not about to let a slimy Shadow Siren get away that easily, especially Princess Flora! And don't think I forgot about that 'vague bond' comment, either! You'll pay for that!"

Lillian rolled her eyes. Judging by the scars on this freak, they were probably all self-inflicted. Had Marilyn and Beldam actually lost to this... loser? He barely knew how to hold the sword, despite his rumored prowess. She easily could've killed him... and probably should've... but Vivian was present, and no blood would spew before her innocent eyes.

"So?" asked an impatient Kevin. "Are you gonna attack anytime today, or am I gonna have to slice your head off myself?"

"Why don't we both just go home and pretend this never happened? I don't want to fight..." She lowered her voice to a threatening tone. "And you sure don't want to fight me."

"Like you're in any position to talk." He fingered the blade. "The blood of your sisters has stained this sword multiple times. What makes you think you can prevail where they failed?"

"Trust me; you're better off not knowing..." She calmly passed him. "Goodbye, Kyle."

"...It's Kevin."

"Whatever."

She walked back to the pipe they emerged from, hoping to forget this whole turn of events ever happened. Maybe she could go home, have some brunch, and improvise from there. To her surprise, Kevin began walking alongside her, smiling like an idiot.

"I've never met a Shadow Siren who didn't want to fight before. Your kind always seemed much more... aggressive."

"As long as you're not a threat, there's no reason to fight."

"In that case, why don't you stay and chat a little? I've got nothing but time on my hands."

She glared at him, still mad from before. "...I think I'll pass. I have to go now."

"Aw, wait a minute. Where're you going?"

"Home. I can't be out like this."

"Why?"

"Because we're sworn enemies. Now, goodbye."

He kept following. "Well, I don't think you're that bad."

"That's nice..." she grumbled, starting to get annoyed.

"Ooh, feisty, aren't we?" he joked.

"Just leave me alone. I'm not supposed to be here."

"Why?"

"Because I'll get in trouble."

"Hey." He grabbed her arm. "What's the big hurry, anyway? What I said before about you being a 'vague bond'; it wasn't true."

She groaned. "Listen... Kelvin, Kane, or whatever your name is... I need to go home--**_now_**."

"Why?"

**"Because I'm not supposed to be seeing you!"** she screamed, answering him for the millionth time. "Now, let go!"

As she struggled against his might, she suddenly stopped, realizing he still had that idiotic grin on his face. She scoffed. This guy must've been _really_ popular with women.

"Look, can you let me go already?"

"No." He got in her face, narrowing his eyes and still grinning that stupid grin. "I'm not letting go 'til you tell me your real name. Everyone calls you Princess Flora, but a beautiful princess is certainly bound to a more beautiful name."

Lillian had to hand it to this guy; he sure knew how to get what he wanted. He wasn't even the slightest bit afraid of her. She could've easily summoned a Piranha Plant to tear his arm off, but something about his intense, emerald eyes told her it'd only make things worse. She respected his courage and, at the same time, admired it. Plus... he _did _say she was beautiful.

Staring him down, she sternly replied, "Lillian. My name is Lillian."

"Lillian, huh? Yeah, that's a lot better than Flora. Y'know, with the flower and all. Can I call you Lil?"

"No. Can you let go of me now?"

Her response disappointed him. "...I guess so."

As she continued to pull, he released her arm, allowing her to fall flat on her face with a squeal of surprise. Neither she or Vivian were hurt, but the Yoshi doll was squeezed in the process, making it appear Lillian squealed "Yoshi!" Nero fell out of the tree, laughing.

"Thank you..." she mumbled, standing. "Now, _goodbye._"

For once, Kevin didn't follow her. She didn't hear a response or the quick shuffling of feet behind her, so it must've finally gotten through his thick skull that he was unwanted. It was then she glanced down quick enough to notice she was no longer holding Vivian. Empty arms dangled by her sides, missing the little bundle. Panicking, she turned to face Kevin, knowing he had something do with her disappearance. But her accusation was quickly proven wrong as Vivian stood before him, offering a flower she picked from the meadow.

"...What's this for?" he asked, surprised.

"To say 'tank' you. You saved Mr. Yum-Yums," she said, referring to her doll. "Wilwian said s'nice to say 'tank you'."

"Well..." he took the flower, glancing at Lillian walking back over. "Uh, thanks."

She crossed her arms upon reaching him. "...I see she's quite taken with you."

"And who wouldn't?" He put the flower in his mouth and posed girlishly. "I think I'm very appealing."

She laughed, but suddenly stopped herself. _What was she doing?! Talking to one of the Four Heroes?! It was bad enough she wasn't trying to kill him, but engaging in casual conversation was simply out of the question! _

She looked down to see the young princess giggling at Kevin. Lillian herself was raised to never trust anyone outside her species, but Vivian was too young to discriminate; despite the two yelling just a moment ago, she saw nothing wrong with him. Maybe he wasn't that bad after all. Perhaps it couldn't hurt to stay a little longer...

After an awkward silence, Kevin began gnawing on the flower. "...Does this mean you changed your mind about leaving?"

She sat on the grass. "Looks like it. I guess I can stay for a little while..."

"Really? Cool!" Kevin flopped down beside her.

Nero's mouth dropped open. Befriending an enemy was bad enough, but a Shadow Siren was simply out of the question! He'd been brought up to hate them, but Kevin actually wanted to _talk_ to her! Maybe he'd been infatuated; that happened every once in a while. And if that was the case, it was his job to give him a good, skull-shattering headbutt to bring him back to his senses...

He was ready to slam his thick head into Kevin's when he noticed Vivian at his feet. She smiled at him, whereas he frowned and replied with a raspberry. This made her laugh. He tried his best to look intimidating by growling, spreading his wings, and stomping the ground. But Vivian only laughed at the silly Yoshi, squeezing her doll in unison with his growls. At one point, his snout got close enough for her to kiss, which caused him to cough and gag uncontrollably.

Kevin ignored Nero's exaggerated retching. "...Now, tell me about the shopkeeper. How exactly would you've 'handled' him?"

"I have my ways. I'll just say it would've been a pretty sight."

He wasn't convinced. "Uh huh... Yeah, that's kinda hard to believe."

Lillian's temper flared again. "I could've sliced that guy in half! Are you questioning my strength?"

"You didn't look too threatening when_ I_ saw you..."

"Fine, I'll show you threatening! Fluffy could've taken care of him, no sweat!"

"...Fluffy?"

It may've been an odd name, chosen by Vivian, but actions spoke louder than words. Lillian stood and approached a nearby stream, dipping her hands into it. Kevin looked at her quizzically as she sat huddled over the water, concentrating on something. He was just about to question her strange motives when a huge Naval Piranha rose from the water. Her shadow loomed over him, as she grinned mischievously. Two Naval Buds danced around the main head, as a hungry tongue lopped from her mouth. A huge, pink ribbon hung from her neck, making such an intimidating creature look somewhat foolish.

"Kevin, I'd like you to meet Fluffy, one of my strongest and most loyal pets!" Lillian boasted, knowing he'd lose all control of his bladder soon.

The prickly thing lowered herself to his level and roared, blowing his hair and beard back. He smiled.

"Y'know, I got eaten by one of these last week on the way to Keelhaul Key. If the pirates didn't get you on the way, these guys sure will."

"...Doesn't that frighten you?" asked a puzzled Lillian.

"Not really. Nothing really surprises me anymore. Monsters, disasters, slaughter, suffering; I've seen it all."

The princess sat in disbelief, along with her carnivorous friend. Now _she_ was intrigued. She didn't care if he was an enemy; she wanted to know more about this "Stalwart Koopa". Seeing she was no longer needed, Fluffy shrugged and submerged until she was no more. Embarrassed, Lillian smiled nervously. The moment had indeed turned awkward. Kevin laughed at her expression, then she began laughing at herself. Soon, the ordeal was completely forgotten.

Neither one of them could've predicted how this strange day would end, but Kevin somehow sealed it by asking the simplest question.

"So... why don't you tell me more about yourself?"

* * *

**_"Dear Diary,_**

**_Kevin and I sat there for hours, just talking. It was amazing how much we had in common. He seemed to understand and relate to me on all levels. We liked the same kind of food, had the same interests, and _loved_ breaking the rules. There wasn't a single thing we disagreed on. Mother would be furious if she saw me running around with one of our most persistent enemies, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her_**_**..." **_

* * *

As Kevin went on, talking his harrowing fight against a Gargantua Blargg, Lillian glanced over at Hooktail Castle. Earlier, the setting sun cast the castle's shadow over the hills in the distance, making it look quite terrifying. Now it was merely a black silhouette against the dark, starry sky. It was amazing how time flew when you were having fun... 

"Kevin?"

"...almost bit my arm off! And--Huh?"

"It's getting dark. I have to go."

"Oh. Well, it was nice talking to you." He laughed. "And strange."

She smiled. "You're not all that normal either, y'know."

"Yeah... but you're still weirder."

"No, you defiantly are."

"No, you are."

"No, yo--" Lillian stopped. "Wait. Where's Vivi?"

"Oh, she's over there."

He pointed to Nero sleeping against a tree, his wings covering a dozing Vivian and Mr. Yum-Yums.

"Aww... I always thought children and animals had a way with each other," said Lillian, picking her up.

"Yeah... Uh, do you plan on coming back anytime soon?"

The question caught her off-guard. "Huh? Well... I don't know."

"I know I'd like to see _you_ again. You're really cool... for a Shadow Siren." He flashed his silly grin.

She tried to sound indifferent. "...I guess I could drop by some time, but let's meet somewhere a little more private. Have anything in mind?"

"My friends and I are going to Twilight Town soon. Know where that is?"

"What a stupid question. All Shadow Sirens know where Twilight Town is. It's like our home away from home." She playfully threw her hair back, causing it to shimmer emerald in the moonlight. "It's a pretty dangerous place for outsiders, though. If you plan on going there, you must be really brave... or really stupid."

"I've been called both of those my entire life, so I guess you'll just have to see and judge for yourself," he smugly replied.

"Sure your friends won't mind?"

"Aw, they probably won't even notice. I have an entire secret life they don't know about."

"Which is...?"

"Come tomorrow... and maybe I'll tell you."

"All right, then. It's a date--" She suddenly stopped, realizing that came out wrong.

To her surprise, Kevin held out his hand. Lillian looked at it for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Shadow Sirens didn't usually shake hands, but that didn't mean she should refuse. She finally extended her gloved hand and firmly shook. This would turn out to be a most interesting relationship...

* * *

Deep in the dark, cold corridor of the throne room, the Shadow Queen sat musing. 

_Something wasn't right._ Lately, she'd been seeing less and less of her youngest daughters. There was no telling where they were at this time of the night. Lillian avoided her like the plague, and Vivian still wasn't showing any promise. At this rate, the Amethyst Star would be too weak to use once she became queen. Something had to be done...

"Your Highness," said a servant.

"...What is it _this _time?"

"Uh..." The Ember Siren trembled at her irate tone. "P-princess Marilyn is here to see you..."

"Hmm. A surprising visit, indeed. Let her in."

The servant signaled to the two standing on each side of the entrance. The two slowly pulled opened the huge doors, allowing their visitor to enter.

The Ember Siren bowed. "Princess Marilyn, it's an honor to have you drop by again."

Marilyn acknowledged her with a slight nod and kept walking. She wore a saffron dress with a large amber brooch on her chest. A long belt of gold wrapped around her waist, ending in a bow with ribbons on her back. Similar to Lillian's, a golden tiara with topaz jewels decorated the rim of her hat. Her orange-yellow hair was done in a long, braided ponytail that nearly reached the floor, adding to her golden attire. Despite her simple-mindedness, she was the flashiest of the Shadow Princesses.

"So, you've finally returned from Twilight Town," said the queen, who wasn't too thrilled in seeing her. "Have you accomplished anything of importance lately?"

"...The Four Heroes. I've been running into them a lot lately..." she said, hesitantly. "They're getting stronger, much stronger..."

"Stronger?" she rubbed her chin. "That's not good. They've been a thorn in my side for far too long, and I'm getting very tired of their interference."

"...They've been coming to Twilight Town a lot more often, too."

"I see. I fear those heroes plan on doing something drastic soon."

"...I'll rally the servants and tell them to expect the worst. That's all we can do now."

The queen nodded. "Yes, very good. But before you go... Have you seen Gwendolyn anywhere? I was hoping she'd at least prove as cannon fodder when the time comes..." She spoke carelessly, almost laughing at thought.

Marilyn knew who she was talking about. Despite their bitter relationship, she was the only one to ever call her by her real name.

"Beldam lives in that big mountain place now... Has a lot of snow and stuff..."

"So, she's still alive, I see?" Her face darkened. "How unfortunate... But I digress. I want you to do a job for me."

She bowed. "...Yes, Mother."

"Lillian has been absent quite a lot recently, but has nothing to show for it. She's yet to've fought the Four Heroes, has brought in no prisoners, and hasn't taught Vivian a single spell. It's becoming very troublesome."

"...What do you want me to do about it?"

"I've received word that she's returning now. Starting tomorrow, make yourself useful and follow her. Don't get lost, don't let out of her your sight, and don't let her catch onto you. I want you to report back to me on what she's been doing. Is that understood?"

She sighed. Spying on Lillian wasn't exactly her idea of being useful. She was more on her side than anything. As far as Marilyn was concerned, Lillian was a free spirit and there was no way to tame her; not even the queen herself could do it. She came and went as she pleased, never followed the rules, and had no desire on staying a princess forever. Regardless, she was her mother, and refusing her wasn't an option.

"Yes, Mother. I won't take my eye off her for a second..."

A demonic grin spread her face. "Good girl."

* * *

Just like she promised, Lillian returned late; only the servants and guards were awake at this hour. Vivian was fast asleep on her shoulder, Mr. Yum-Yums squeezed tight in her arms. She took her up to her room, slipping her under the covers for a good night's sleep. 

Afterwards, she retreated to her room, lost in the thoughts of that day. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't keep her mind off a certain Koopa...

There was something about him she just couldn't put her finger on: He was sarcastic, arrogant, and a total knucklehead. He had no respect for her heritage, and couldn't care less if she were the Shadow Queen herself. She'd been brought up like a princess all her life, and for someone to finally treat her like normal nobody made her feel... happy. The idea was crazy, she knew, but she'd never been cut out for royalty. Was it strange for a princess to want out of her pompous way of life? She didn't think so.

Such a predicament reminded her of a romance story she read not too long ago; a headstrong princess ran away from home, only to be swept away by a lowly vagabond and his crew of misfits. Despite his trampish background, he was handsome and lovable. The two, along with the misfits, ended up living the rest of their days on a deserted island together in happiness.

She couldn't believe the thought dared to cross her mind, but Kevin was... pretty attractive himself. He was a tough guy with a ridiculous amount of strength that not even_ she_ could match. The Koopa race usually disgusted her with their peaceful way of thinking, but this guy sure wasn't the average Koopa. She smiled.

Then again, she wasn't the average princess.

* * *

Back in Petalburg, Kevin strolled into the inn. Goombertha was ready and waiting to scold him for staying out so late. 

"I don't even wanna hear it," he said.

_"Ooh!"_ she growled.

"Wow, you're back late," smiled Teresa, reading a levitating spell book. "Did you go on a Shadow Siren killing spree today?"

He frowned at the irony of her question. "Uh, yeah. Sure..."

Aaron appeared from the kitchen, handing a Shroom Steak to him. "Dinner ended hours ago, but you can still eat... I guess..."

Teresa shook her head. "Oh, Aaron... Why make Kevin eat the leftovers? I'm sure you could make another Meteor Meal for our brave, fearless leader, hmm?"

"Tonight was just a fluke. I'm not usually good at cooking..."

"That's okay. I'd rather eat something I can identify, unlike Kevin's crap cooking..." grumbled Goombertha.

Kevin didn't respond. He wasn't in the mood to argue or eat, both being his favorite activities. All he could think about was Lillian... As long as he could remember, Shadow Sirens were considered evil lowlifes who'd steal the breath of babies, separate couples, and kill pretty women. They were considered to be bad luck and harbingers of curses. But Lillian was different; she wasn't some witch trying to steal his soul.

The scarred Koopa also had a thing for ectoplasmic girls, Teresa being a perfect example. He'd never found female Koopas the least bit attractive. And Lillian wasn't just pretty, she was_ hot._ As strange as it sounded, he loved it when she got mad. It made her look even hotter...

Goombertha suddenly cleared her throat. "Ahem!"

"Ah!" He jumped, then frowned. "Whaddya want? I was daydreaming over here."

"I see. What about?"

"Manly stuff. None of your business."

"Just shut up and eat," she spat. "We're leaving bright and early tomorrow, so get your fill while you can."

"Yeah, yeah. Ms. Punctuality strikes again..." He slipped his Shroom Steak off the couch's arm, where Nero made quick work of it.

With the leader finally back, everyone began to turn in, leaving him on the couch to drift. Even Nero abandoned him, getting dibs on his bed, instead of the floor. But Kevin didn't care; he was still thinking about the illustrious Princess Lillian.

He didn't want anyone to know, but he'd fallen for her in the worst way possible. Teresa had been his lover for several years, but that was water under the bridge now. He wasn't sure if it was by nature, but he'd always been a scandalous womanizer at heart. "Koopanova" was his nickname before he started the Four Heroes. Much to his dismay, old friends preferred that name over "Stalwart Koopa".

For years, he'd been known to flirt with other girls right in front of Teresa. Since they always gave him the brush-off, it never bothered her much. But this was different; Lillian actually seemed to enjoy his crude behavior, while he had a dirty, dishonest lust for her. He liked her seductive nature, tomboyish attitude, and fearful reputation. Kevin liked to walk on the wild side, and being with a Shadow Siren was just the way to do it. There wasn't anything true, honest, or passionate about his feelings toward her...

And he had the most awful way of expressing them.

* * *

**_"Dear Diary, _**

_**I told Kevin I'd meet him the next day. You know, just to check him out. He'd probably be a waste of my time, but I've got nothing but time to waste lately. I don't plan on bringing Vivi this time. If things turn ugly, I don't want her at risk. As much as I hate to say it, I'm a little excited about meeting him tomorrow. I guess it's because I'm breaking the rules again, but it's just so much fun to do! For once, I might be able to actually have some fun in getting away with what I do! I just can't wait 'til tomorrow!" **_

* * *

Lillian woke up the next day with a start, practically throwing her bed sheets across the room. The queen would be up soon, so she didn't have much time... She didn't even bother to put on her dress or any jewelry before she appeared outside, getting confused looks from servants and a certain advisor. 

"Whoa, whoa! Lillian!" called Kelly, catching her arm. "Where're you going this early in the morning... and why aren't you wearing your dress?"

"I don't need it where I'm going."

"And that would be..."

She spoke hurriedly, trying to get away. "Twilight Town. Need to meet someone there. Can't be late. Very important. See you later. Let me go."

"But what about Vivian? Aren't you taking her with you?"

"Not this time. I have to go."

"Lilly, are you feeling alright? You're acting... really weird today. And just who're you meeting in Twilight Town?"

She scrambled to come up with an answer. "Uh... um, Marilyn. Yeah. Said it was very important princess business."

"Well, if you say so... Just don't get caught, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. 'K, thanks. Bye."

The second she let her go, Lillian disappeared faster than gold at a Bandits' convention. Kelly could tell it was going to be one of those days. Then again, only their kin and a few of those Twilighter weirdoes lived in Twilight Town. Surely going there wasn't against any rules... She'd just finished convincing herself it was nothing when she bumped into Marilyn.

"Oh, Princess Marilyn." She bowed. "I didn't know you were visiting today. Lillian just said you... were going to..." She groaned in disgust, realizing she'd been duped. "Oh no..."

"'Oh no'? That didn't sound good... Did something happen?" She asked, pretending to be oblivious.

Kelly was practically sweating bullets. "Oh, no! No, nothing happened! I just remembered... that, uh... Gloomtail! His breakfast! He said he wanted Koopas today, but I accidentally fed him Toads! Augh!"

"That's beside the point..." She crossed her arms. "Are you familiar with Lillian's frequent disappearances? Her Highness has noticed that she's been... running away a lot lately... Would you have anything to do about it?"

"I... no. No, I haven't even seen her today." She laughed nervously. "Oh, that Lillian. She's always off like a rocket. There's no telling where she is now..."

"...Well, I aim to find out. If you see her again... tell her I'm looking for her."

"Yes, ma'am... Good luck with that." She bowed again. "Uh, a good day to you, Princess Marilyn."

* * *

_**Authoress' Notes:** What's this? Marilyn can talk?! Beldam's real name is Gwendolyn?! 500 coins for an Ultra Shroom?! Madness! Also, writing arguments for Kevin and Lillian is fun. :)_


	24. Taboo: Part III

_**Authoress' Notes:** Here's the next part, and the plot continues to thicken. Also, I've been thinking of making a spin-off of** "BOA"** about Kevin and the coming of the Four Heroes. What do you think? Tell me in your Reviews! Only 6 chapters left now._

* * *

**_Better Off Alone_**

**_Chapter 24:_**_ Taboo (Part III)_

* * *

Lunar Peak was known as the highest and coldest place in the entire continent. No matter what time of day it was, the moon could always be seen from anywhere on the mountain. Thus, it was given its name. 

The peak was barren and cold year-round, sometimes reaching below temperatures. Only the bravest of the brave ventured up there, and survivors were rare. No sane person would live in such a desolate place, save the small town of Bob-ombs near the foot of the mountain. ...Of course, that didn't include those who were accustomed to the settings.

* * *

A single soul walked through the deep snow, her striped hat barely visible from a distance. It was possible her height had something to do with it, but Beldam knew she was superior in every single way. 

Nothing was out of the ordinary there; Frost Piranhas, Ice Puffs, and the occasional lost traveler asking for help to get back to town. She always gave them the wrong directions on purpose, considering it payback for trespassing on her turf. Frozen cadavers were a great way to keep Frost Piranhas fed and happy.

She stopped her aimless wandering to rest against a tree, drained from a recent battle against that blasted Stalwart Koopa. Drops of blood in the snow proved he was still too strong for her. The two seemed to fight almost every week, with the results always the same.

_Whenever it looked like she was on the verge of winning, that Yoshi of his would interfere, giving him the chance to take her out. There had to be a way to eliminate them both at the same time. If only she could cast a spell strong enough..._

Before she could brood anymore about the seemingly unbeatable Koopa, she sensed someone nearby. It was another Shadow Siren, and she knew just who it was.

A chilly wind blew the intruder's cobalt curls back, nearly revealing the indigo eyes underneath her blue-and-white hat. Unaccustomed to the conditions, she uttered soft grunts as she pushed through the thick snow.

Yuki was her advisor, despite being even younger than Lillian. Timid and nervous, she acted more like a lackey than anything else. She was once a servant, but her incompetence had gotten her in trouble one too many times. Her punishment from the queen was to serve under Beldam until she "grew up a little". Unfortunately for Yuki, Beldam never had an advisor when she was younger.

"Milady, I have news..." came her soft voice.

"How many I times have I told you not to bother me up here? When I give you orders, I expect you to follow them."

"Her Highness is requesting your presence at the palace..."

"Do I look like I care? Tell her I'm busy."

She trembled. "...I'm afraid that's not an option, milady. It's about the Four Heroes..."

Beldam stood, poised to strike, which made her speak up in fear.

"And Lillian! Lillian's in the report, too!" she finished, cowering. "I thought you'd be interested in hearing that, milady!"

"Lillian? ...What about her?"

"Her Highness can't seem to keep track of her anymore, so--"

She yelped and spoke louder as Beldam pulled on her hair. "Ow! She... She sent Princess Marilyn to investigate! They're on their way to Twilight Town now! I implore to you come, milady! Ow!"

Beldam pushed her to the ground. "That bumbling idiot can't do anything right. Why would she send her to do something like _that?_"

Yuki brushed the snow off her face. "If it would help, rumor has it she's been seen with the infamous Stalwart Koopa."

"The Stalwart Koopa?" She frowned. "Tell me more about this... insubordination."

* * *

If there was one place the Four Heroes couldn't stand going to, it was Twilight Town. It was cold, barren, and spooky, but a crucial part in their quest to stop the Shadow Queen. Aside from the bizarre Twilighters and sinister crows, the Shadow Sirens living there had to be their claim to fame. Compared to the natural settlers, they were quite common, with nearly three for every Twilighter. This made the village off-limits to… outsiders. 

"Now, Kevin, please don't do what you did last time. Threatening to burn someone's house down is_ not_ a good impression," said Goombertha.

"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad..."

Aaron counted on his fingers. "Well, you got us kicked out of the inn, chased by a mob, and lost in the forest. If Teresa hadn't asked those Boos at the steeple for directions, we never would've gotten out of there..."

"So, a few Hyper Clefts decided to make you a pincushion and we got a little lost. Big deal."

"Just try not to overdo this time," said Teresa, almost laughing at Aaron's recollections.

With that, they spread out and began to scan the town for anything suspicious, which was easier said than done. Twilighters stared, sometimes unblinking, at them, while Shadow Sirens refused to make eye contact. Nearby crows cawed mindlessly, occasionally leaving the trees to perch on people. As one landed on Kevin's head, Nero promptly ate it, making the two laugh uproariously.

Goombertha tried to ignore their stupidity and continued searching for someone not so... weird to talk to. She finally spotted someone in an old cloak huddled against a house, seemingly asleep. Hoping it was a Shadow Siren, she approached.

"Uh, excuse me? Yes, hello there. Do you happen to know anything about the Crystal Stars?"

"...Those who seek answers are often disappointed," said the cloak. "You shall be the same. I have nothing to say to the likes of you."

"You sure about that?" Kevin appeared, unsheathing his sword. "Wouldn't want any trouble now, would we?"

"And we won't have any if you put that thing away!" warned Goombertha through clenched teeth.

"…Most who live here don't even work for the Shadow Queen anymore. They're either indifferent or tired of being servants." A toothy grin appeared from the hood. "Of course, that sure doesn't mean we wouldn't love to see her kick your sorry butts."

In the blink of an eye, Kevin sliced his sword past her, the cloak's halves falling to the ground. This revealed an older Lightning Siren with goldenrod, shoulder-length hair. She and Goombertha both frowned at Kevin.

"You won't find anything here, and resorting to violence will only be your undoing."

"Tell us everything you know."

"Why must you come here time after time to ask the same questions? I've already told you what you wanted to know, now leave me in peace."

"So you're saying you were a servant before you left?"

"Why should that matter?"

"Because you _should _know where the Crystal Stars are."

The siren crossed her arms. "The Crystal Stars are in a disclosed location; only Her Highness and the Shadow Princesses know where they are."

Kevin narrowed his eyes. "You're lying."

"Like you would know. Better keep your nose out of other people's business before it gets cut off. Now if you'll excuse me..."

Before Kevin could stop her, she'd already disappeared into the shadows. Only the tattered cloak remained where she was sitting.

Goombertha sighed. "Nice going, Kevin! I probably could've gotten some info out of her if you hadn't come along!"

"Whatever. The older ones always sugarcoat everything anyway. It's the little curly-haired runts that have all the beef, so keep looking."

The Goomba watched him stroll away aimlessly to the outskirts of town. She could only wonder how he survived with such a limited amount of knowledge...

* * *

A Koopa should've been easy to spot in a place like Twilight Town, but after nearly an hour of looking, he was nowhere to be found. Ever since she got there, Lillian had been searching everywhere for Kevin. Unfortunately, all she found were Twilighters, crows, and Shadow Sirens who bowed at her presence. 

_She should've known he wouldn't keep his promise. What was she thinking, actually trusting her _enemy_? Maybe this was what she needed to get some sense knocked into her... _

Angry and disappointed for being stood up, she was about to leave when someone bumped into her, knocking her down.

"Uh! Watch were you're going, idiot!"

"Only idiots call other people idiots, idiot!" barked a familiar voice.

She stood and dusted herself off. "I'll have you know you're in the presence of a Shadow Princess, and I don't like the way you're disrespecting me!"

"Well, you just..." He stopped, looking at her closely. "Lillian? Is that you?"

"Kevin?"

To her surprise, it really was the scarred Koopa. After the initial shock, he started laughing. He wasn't sure if it was her flaring temper, lack of clothing, or their accustomed bickering he found so funny.

She punched him in the arm, making him laugh more. "Stupid! I thought you stood me up! I was about to leave, you big--!"

"You're late, y'know," he interrupted, knowing it annoyed her.

She groaned. "You never told me what time to meet you here."

"Uh, hello? Perpetual darkness kinda makes it hard to tell what time it is."

"Just because it's always nighttime here doesn't mean time is any different! If it's noon in Petalburg, then you can bet it'll be noon here!"

"Oh, like I was supposed to know that! Sorry for not being an inkblot and living here like the rest of you weirdoes!"

"The only weirdo around here is **_you!_**"

"So says the Shadow Siren!"

"Yeah, says the Shadow Siren! And she's gonna have her fist talking to your face in a minute!"

"You don't have the guts!"

They fumed at each other, fists clenched and teeth grinding in anger. After a moment of this, they busted out laughing.

"You've still got it!" Kevin said between laughs. "I thought yesterday was just a put-on, but I can see now you were serious!"

"What? You think just 'cause I'm a princess, I'm a little pansy?"

"Well..."

"Don't answer that."

"But you asked me!"

"It was a rhetorical question!"

"What's with you and all these weird words?"

"When one of royalty is brought up in an educated environment, she tends to learn the proper etiquette of a princess," she boasted.

"...You may have spunk, but _that_ little display proves you're still a pansy."

Lillian was about to retort when, right behind him, she noticed Marilyn leaning against a house. Things would quickly turn violent if she saw her and Kevin together... Panicking, she tried to read her expression, but that was like trying to read a closed book.

"Uh, Kevin?" She darted behind him, making sure neither could see one another. "Do me a favor and stay there. I'll be right back."

"Okay, but I'll have you know I tend to wander off..."

"Just don't go anywhere!" she growled, disappearing into the shadows.

If it'd been anyone else, Kevin would've left just to spite them, but maybe he'd follow directions just this once...

* * *

Marilyn found it strange, yet ironic. Unlike Vivian and Lillian, who were too young to be left unattended, she could come and go as she pleased. She'd been staying in Twilight Town for a spell and now she was here again, on a mission. 

The queen told her to stay vigilant and hidden, but she wasn't very agile or attentive. She'd let Lillian spot her on purpose to save a lot of time and frustration. From the conversation she had with Kevin, she knew more than enough to figure out what was going on...

Right on cue, Lillian appeared before her. "Marilyn, hello! I haven't seen you in some time now. Still vacationing here, I see."

"...It's not a 'vacation'. You know I don't go to the castle much anymore."

She laughed nervously. "Of course not..."

"What're you doing here? Where's Vivian? Mother told me to check up on you."

"She's not here right now, but I'm fine!" She struggled to push her away. "Listen, now's not the best time to be out, with those Four Heroes lurking about. I'll meet you back at the palace, and maybe we can have some lunch, okay?"

"...Why are you in such a hurry to see me leave?"

"No reason!" She kept pushing. "Really, just go home and I'll be there in an hour, or two."

"...Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

"What?"

"I don't think Mother would be too happy if she found out you were... betraying us."

She bit her lip. "Mary, please! It's not what you think! You can't tell her about this!"

"Lillian, I know you enjoy freedom, but you can't keep running away from the palace..."

"But I'm tired of being cooped up in that dingy palace all day! I wanna be free to do what I want without someone looking over my shoulder for once..."

"Look, I know you've never listened to a word I've ever said, but now's the time to start... Please come home before you end up getting hurt."

"But Mary, I've finally met someone who I can identify with. I mean, I know he's the enemy, but he means no harm. And he doesn't treat me like a princess... He likes me for me."

"...Really now?"

"Please, Mary. I know I've asked you to keep a lot of things from Mother, but this'll be the last one, I swear. Can't you keep this under your hat... for me?"

Marilyn was caught between a rock and a hard place. The hardest word for her to say to Lillian had to be "no". She just didn't have the heart to stress any rules on those adorable green eyes. Besides, Lillian was a natural rebel who refused to let monarchy stand between her and happiness. She was probably the only Shadow Siren in the entire district who dared disobey the Shadow Queen's orders. Disciplining such enthusiasm proved very difficult; it was like trying to crush a tiny flower.

"...Fine."

"Huh?"

"If it means that much to you, I guess this can be our little secret..."

Her face brightened. "Really? You mean it? Seriously?"

She stooped down to give her a hug. "Just be careful, okay? Please don't make me regret this..."

She happily returned it. "Oh, I won't, Mary! You can count on that! But what'll you tell Mother?"

"How about I teach Vivian her spells? I taught you how to use yours, so doing it again shouldn't be too hard. I don't think you should be bogged down with such a responsibility, anyway."

"Thanks. I owe you one, Mary."

* * *

Kevin was in the middle of a rousing game called "Hit the Ugly Crows with Rocks" when Lillian suddenly reappeared, nearly being bombarded herself. 

She smacked the remaining rocks of his hand, making him laugh. "Quit it! You're acting like a child!"

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, what was that all about?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I just had to... powder my nose."

"...But you don't have a nose..."

Lillian punched him again as he snorted with laughter. "You know what I mean, idiot!"

Marilyn watched the two walk off into the night like old friends, despite being mortal enemies. To her surprise, the Koopa actually seemed taken by her. It made her wonder if the old saying of "opposites attract" applied to _this_ kind of opposite.

Perhaps the Shadow Queen was in the wrong for her intolerance of other species. Whoever said killing innocent women and children was so pious, anyway? Maybe Lillian was onto something...

* * *

Back at the Shadow Palace, the queen was surprised to see her second daughter already returning from her assignment. The shock was barely evident in her voice. 

"Marilyn, you've returned. That was... fast."

"Yes, the problem was very minor. That, and Lillian isn't that hard to catch up with..."

"Hmm, proficient. What's your report on her?"

"According to Lillian, the Four Heroes have been planning to ambush us."

"A foolish move on their part. When was it scheduled? "

"It was for today, but Lillian attacked them with those Putrid Piranhas of hers. The Stalwart Koopa's been poisoned, I believe, so the attack was called off."

"Poisoned? Good, good. I detest him greatly... Anything else?"

_"My queen, you honestly don't believe this buffoon!"_ interrupted a faint voice.

Unsurprisingly, both queen and princess knew such a stingy, sour voice could only belong to Beldam. Sneering, she appeared from the shadows.

Marilyn gritted her teeth in annoyance. _That sneak! She'd probably eavesdropped on the whole thing! Why did she only bother showing up when she wasn't wanted?_

"I was alerted about Lillian's sudden disappearances and went there to see for myself. What Marilyn speaks is everything but the truth!"

The queen frowned. "I find her story more believable than yours! And you are in no position to speak! I don't remember asking this favor of_ you_!"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, but trusting her is out of the question!"

"At least she pulls her weight around here, unlike some other traitor. I still fail to see you bring me something more valuable than your incessant nagging. This is exactly why you're more than _not _welcome."

"I'm the only one around here who ever knows what's going on! Lillian's a lose cannon and Marilyn's completely inept..." She crossed her arms. "I suppose you think Vivian could prove of some use?"

Marilyn cleared her throat loudly. "Mother, if I may... Lillian has asked that I take responsibility for Vivian until further notice."

"And the reason for this is?"

"She's been on an undercover mission for some time now, and training Vivian has become very difficult."

Her face darkened. "You're saying I've been misinformed? She isn't abandoning her duties like I was told?"

"No, ma'am. If anything, she's working harder than ever before..."

"She's lying right to her your face! I saw nothing but treason in Lillian's persona! She's not--"

"_Insolence!_ You!" She pointed at a servant. "Make sure whoever started this rumor is thoroughly punished! I won't tolerate hearing falsely of my daughters anymore! Is that understood?"

The servant flinched. "Er, uh... Yes, ma'am!"

"As for you, Marilyn... Good work." She glared at Beldam. "You may not be as much of a buffoon as sources say."

"Thank you, Mother."

"You're making a big mistake! She's done nothing right! Lillian's out there right now, cavorting with the enemy! How can you take her word for anything?"

"Enough!" She stood. "I tire of this squabbling, so off with you! I've always known you were good for nothing, so make an effort to change my mind, however futile it may be."

Beldam knew she was fighting a losing battle, so she decided to withdraw. She began to fade into the shadows, but not before muttering, "You'll pay for this..."

"Marilyn, you are excused as well. I'm now entrusting Vivian to until further notice. Please tell Lillian that the next time you see her."

With a sigh of relief, she bowed. "Yes, Mother. Anything you say..."

* * *

**_"Dear Diary,_**

**_It's been some time since I last wrote, but I think you already know why... I've been seeing Kevin almost every day now. We always meet up wherever his friends are and end up spending the entire day together. He says deserting them's no big deal, since he was more of a wanderer. I can't believe it's already been two months since we first met, and I _****still _can't believe we're both getting away with it! It's even gotten to the point where we only meet one-on-one; Kevin doesn't bring his Yoshi, and I don't bring Vivian. It's hard to be alone together when others are around..._**

**_I never thought I'd say this... It all happened so fast. I thought he was a selfish loser at first, but now I can't keep mind off him. He's the only one around here who understands my yearning for freedom. When I'm with him, I feel like I could travel to the ends of the world. He may not be a perfect goody-two-shoes, but I'm kinda glad he's not. He's everything I've always wanted all rolled up into one... _**

* * *

As the days lingered on, attacks and ambushes came in continuous cycles for the Four Heroes. The Shadow Queen was beginning to bring out the heavy artillery. After an ambush lead by Gloomtail proved nearly fatal, Goombertha was horrified to realize they still weren't ready for the final battle. To make things worse, Kevin was hardly ever around anymore, making it difficult for everyone to function. 

He was asked several times by each member to resume his leadership, but their words fell on deaf ears. He left every day at the break of dawn, sometimes not returning until late at night. Even Nero was beginning feel left out, due to his daily disappearances. On top of that, he wasn't as dutiful anymore; he often left on his own accord, ignored his friends, and was never around to lead them into battle. Strangely, Goombertha noticed he was beginning to smell like flowers...

Teresa found this not only out of character, but very offensive. Kevin no longer wanted to be with her, acted more arrogant than usual, and refused to speak of where he'd been. The two used to be kindred spirits, but with her heightened supernatural senses, she detected the foul odor of treason in the air. Something weird was going on, and she was going to find out what, whether he knew it or not...

* * *

For what seemed like the millionth time, the Four Heroes had dropped by Twilight Town. Much to their dismay, it was the only place that provided adequate information on the Shadow Queen. Goombertha was determined to stay true to her calling of "The Wise Goomba", despite heated tension between the remaining members. She continued studying book after book for more facts on their adversary. 

Sadly, the others weren't as motivated; Nero refused to obey commands, Aaron became self-absorbed in his archery practice, and Teresa had disappeared off to who-knows-where. Without Kevin, the team was starting to drift apart.

She sighed as the Twilighter innkeeper joined her at the table.

"So, the Four Heroes drop by once again," he said, familiar with their frequent visits. "Any news on the whole Crystal Stars plan?"

"I just can't figure it out... We've been traveling around the world for years, and just when we figure out the Shadow Queen's location, now _this_ comes up! The Crystal Stars are each very powerful in their own way, but there's another we know next to nothing about: the Amethyst Crystal Star."

"Hogwash. There's no such thing. That last one's just a myth."

"That's what I first said about the Crystal Stars, and they're as real as ever. According to all the books I've read, it's more powerful than the other seven combined. I've already made plans of attack, but she'd wipe the floor with us if she uses that one!"

"I suppose that_ is_ a bit of an impasse."

She frantically flipped through a book. "Ugh! She's got to be keeping that thing somewhere! There's no way she could hide something that powerful forever!"

He placed a cup before her. "Here. Calm down and have some Koopa Tea."

"Thanks..." She took a sip. "Y'know, as if this Crystal Star stuff wasn't driving me up the wall enough, things've gone and taken a turn for the worst for the team. Without Kevin, I'm not sure we can keep this up much longer..."

"Say, where is he, anyway? I haven't seen him all day, er... night."

Sighing, she looked out the window. "That's a good question."

* * *

Kevin and Lillian strolled through the dark forest of Twilight Trail, laughing and talking about an argument they had earlier. Lillian loved the fact that her favorite place of solitude didn't bother Kevin. The woods were bustling with Boos, Hyper Clefts, and other unsightly things, but the two acted like they were skipping through Petal Meadows. 

They traveled deep into the woods, fooling around and playing pranks on each other. They had no worries, no problems, and could care less if they were shirking their responsibilities. It was amazing how such disobedience took up nearly all their time.

Kevin hopped over a fallen log, whereas Lillian had to crawl over. Unfortunately, she lost her balance and fell onto him with a squeal. He laughed.

"For a princess, you aren't very graceful."

"Shut up. If it weren't for me, you'd be walking around in circles in here."

"I don't need you to tell me where I'm going. I've got natural-born instincts."

"When Chain Chomps fly."

He sneered at her, while all she could do was laugh. Before he could retort, she pointed into the darkness ahead of them.

"Hey, look over there."

Kevin squinted. "Y'know, not all of us can see in the dark like some weirdoes can..."

Not wanting to admit he was right, she ignored him and approached a skeleton tree. Despite it being dead, several dark pieces of fruit dangled from its bare branches.

"Those are Black Apples. Twilight Trail is the only place you can find them and even then, they're really rare."

A whip-like vine slipped out from underneath Lillian's hat, acting as extendable arm to grab a pair. It dropped both into her hands, disappearing under her hat almost as quickly as it came.

Kevin frowned. "They look disgusting."

"Can't judge a book by its cover." She began to eat hers, handing him one. "Try it. Unless... you're not man enough."

There was nothing that fired Kevin up more than challenging his manliness. With a scoff, he snatched the thing from her and stared at it. It looked like an apple in every way, but the color continued to throw him off. Anything black wasn't something you'd usually want to consume. Then again, his stomach was nearly cast-iron from all the Poison Shrooms he'd been tricked into eating. Expecting the worst, he closed his eyes and took a bite.

...Surprisingly, the flavor was sweet and succulent. It oozed with a sugary kind of juice that was so good, a trove of Jelly Ultras would've paled in comparison. It tasted a million times better than a measly, little apple! The mark left by his bite revealed a green inside, but he didn't care! It was delicious!

"Wow, this tastes great!"

"Told you."

"I gotta take more of these home! They're so good, it's almost a sin to eat 'em!"

Lillian lowered her voice. "...Actually, they're known as taboo fruits. We're not supposed to be eating them."

Regardless, Kevin took another bite. "Then, why are we eating them?"

She smiled. "Because we're not supposed to."

"Ooh, I like the way you think."

They laughed at one another's reactions until a glimpse of gold caught Lillian's attention from the otherwise dark road. An Amazee Dayzee bounced out of the bushes, happily singing to itself.

"Ooh! Ooh! Kevin, quick!" she whispered loudly, shaking him. "Look over there! It's an Amazee Dayzee!"

"So?"

"'So?' Amazee Dayzees are super-rare! I've only seen a handful in my entire life, and trust me, that's a _long _time."

"Then I'll just have to catch it." With that, he dashed after the flower. Horrified, it ran away.

"No, Kevin! You dunce! You'll scare it awa--"

Before she could finish, he was already walking back to her, holding the sparkling flower. Apparently, it had no idea how he managed to snag it. His kind endeavor flattered her, especially since he wasn't a very charitable guy. Such a nice gift deserved an equally nice reward...

"Here." He handed her the bewildered Dayzee. "You women and your flowers. I still don't see what--"

Kevin never got to finish that sentence. From all the vile, bloodthirsty things that could've easily taken his breath away, he was surprised to see that a kiss from Lillian carried out the same purpose. After what seemed like forever, she blew in his face, the intoxicating scent of Black Apple wafting through his nose.

She took the Amazee Dayzee. "That was really sweet. You didn't have to it, but thank you."

Kevin seemed to've lost focus. "What the...? Why'd you...? How the...?"

"What's the matter?" She tickled his beard, speaking flirtatiously. "Did that leave you... speechless?"

He shook his head wildly. "N-no! No! Y-you just caught me off-guard, that's all! I didn't expect you to go all loopy and kiss me like that! What's the matter with you, anyway?! That was gross!"

She laughed at his immaturity. "Come off it, Kevin. I know you better than you think... You like me, don't you?"

His appalled expression said more than enough. "What?! No, I don't_ like_ you! That Black Apple must've made you go crazy! Get away from me!"

She sidled up to him. "Well, I know I like _you_. You're very sweet. You pretend to be tough as nails, but deep down, you're really a big softie."

Kevin nearly slapped himself. "You're mad! Don't think you can sway me with whole infatuation thing you sirens do! I bet that's what it is, isn't it?!"

"No, I just really like you. Don't you feel the same about me?"

"No!"

"Not even a little?"

"Not even a little."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't!"

"Are you sure?"

"Lillian!"

"How long are we gonna go on pretending we don't like each other?" She stroked the Dayzee, making it giggle. "We sure _do_ everything together..."

"So? For all you know, I could be using you. This could be a trap I set, and I could kill you right now if I wanted to!"

"Then, do it. I'm sure it'd make your life a whole lot easier."

Kevin was speechless, but she was right. All he had to do was give her one good stab and she'd be dead. He'd done it to hundreds of other Shadow Sirens, so what made her any different? She idly turned her back to him, as if giving him a chance to strike. The Koopa knew he was only using her. Just like so many girls before, he'd milk her for all she was worth, then drop her like a Mistake gone bad.

Lillian heard him unsheathe his sword, but refused to move. As crazy as it seemed, she trusted Kevin indefinitely. She knew he wouldn't go through with it, and even if he did, at least her taxing life of royalty would finally come to an end...

Her thoughts were shattered as Kevin's sword swept by her face and into a tree she was facing. It sliced off small strands of her hair, nearly cutting into her cheek. While she didn't even flinch, the Dayzee was on pins and needles. She saw his reflection in the blade looking at the ground, distraught and confused.

"...You can't do it, can you?"

He shrugged, laughing bitterly. "I guess not. You win... I can't kill you. That must mean you want to kill me, right? Go ahead. The sword's right there."

She sighed, pulled the sword out, and stabbed it in the ground. Putting the Amazee Dayzee down, she wrapped her arms around him.

"Why does it always have to be fighting and killing with you? Have you ever once in your life stopped to think that someone might really just want to... be with you?"

"I'm not the best guy to hang around with..." he muttered, thinking she deserved a fair warning.

"I don't care."

"You could be throwing your life away..."

"I don't care."

"You could be killed..."

She grabbed his handkerchief, pulling him close. "What part of 'I don't care' don't you understand?!"

Unbeknownst to Lillian, Kevin was looking right into her eyes. It was as if the Emerald Crystal Star itself had lent her its dazzling green sparkle. If anything, her eyes were even prettier than _that_.

"Y'know, you have a really piercing stare..."

The jeweled eyes reflected shock, then horror as she realized he was right. She jammed her hat down in embarrassment.

"No, it's okay. I don't think it worked..."

"No, it's not. If you ever look into the eyes of a Shadow Siren, you'll totally lose your head and become infatuated. And the only way it won't work is if..." She raised her head, sparkling eyes visible. "You love me, too."

Kevin felt himself blush, something he hadn't done in nearly a decade. "Well... Maybe I... sorta, kinda like you, too... A little."

She smiled. "Really?"

He retrieved his sword, refusing to face her. "...Maybe."

_He couldn't believe it! It was impossible!_ When he first met Lillian, never in his wildest dreams did he think she'd ever fall for him, or vice versa. Did _she_ know how cocky, egotistic, and self-absorbed he was? Did _he_ know how rough, defiant, and tomboyish she was?

...Probably, but they didn't care. He'd finally found a girl who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty, and Lillian had finally found her lust for freedom in another. In some strange, twisted way or another, both parts of completely opposite sides had come together to make something new and wondrous.

"Hey, I have an idea... if you'll hear it," said Lillian, breaking the awkward silence.

"...What?"

"Why don't we spend the night... here? Alone."

"Alone?"

"I mean, if you're not scared. I understand if you wanna go running back to your friends. It _is_ pretty dangerous out here..."

"I don't run away from anything! Never have, never will!"

"Then show me." She placed her head on his shoulder. "When it comes to being a real hero, the best thing you can show is... love."

Kevin wasn't used to showing such feelings toward others, and who could blame him? Ever since he began this long and perilous journey of his, he'd been in a continuous circle of hedonism. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, and how he wanted. He loved nothing more than living on the edge and throwing caution to the wind. His friends had always seen him as an all-around joker, never taking his most ridiculous claims seriously.

Lillian had to be the first person to ever approach him sincerely without getting on his nerves. Plus, she was a real looker, and that always got a lot of extra points...

Looking away, Kevin slowly put his hand around her waist, giving her a firm squeeze. Lillian knew this was a big step for him, so she simply tugged on his handkerchief in a playful, but loving gesture.

Without another word, the two walked off into the thickening forest, not certain when or if they'd ever return. Lillian's Amazee Dayzee watched them disappear, and happily sang them a symphony that they would always remember.

* * *

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ Good news, all! I** really** got my scanner fixed this time, so if you wanna see a pic of Lillian and Kevin, visit my profile. I'll put one up soon. Good luck trying to find the out-of-game reference! It's impossible to weed out, **"SPM"** players. _


	25. Taboo: Part IV

_**Authoress' Notes:** Here's the next part, then it's back to modern day. Plus, I have to say this has the 3rd most shocking twist in the story! (If you can find it) The 2nd comes in Chapter 27 and the 1st is in Chapter 30. Only 5 chapters left now, but stay tuned for a small preview of **"BOA2"** from here on until the last chapter!_

* * *

**_Better Off Alone_**

**_Chapter 25:_**_ Taboo (Part IV)_

* * *

Lillian opened her eyes to an upside-down star statue. She felt dizzy and disoriented, having no idea how she got there or what day it was. Her eyes lazily shifted over to a dozing Kevin, who was wearing her hat for some reason. Boos giggled and drifted above, not paying the slightest bit of attention to the two, which was a blessing if anything. The two were sprawled out on the floor of the Creepy Steeple, a place she hadn't been to in ages. Surveying the familiar surroundings, memories of their earlier meeting surfaced. She bit her lip. They weren't good ones... 

_Something awful had transpired there, and she didn't mean to stay this long... And she especially didn't expect things to take such a turn. Deep down, she felt like she'd done something terribly wrong. She'd always been a little defiant, but their earlier rendezvous may've gone a little too far. _

_It was a well-known fact that princesses were supposed to be pure and innocent, but that was no longer the case for her..._

She sighed, still hurting a little from the accident she'd learn to regret for the rest of her life. To make matters worse, everyone back at the palace was probably looking for her. She massaged her temples and stretched, shaking her snoozing partner.

"Get up."

"...What?" he grumbled, pulling her hat further over his eyes.

"Kevin, I'm serious. Get up."

"Come on... Five more minutes..."

She stood. "Kevin, I have to go. Mother'll be mad."

Hearing that, he sat up. "Huh? You're leaving _now_?"

"I didn't mean to stay out this late..." She took her hat off his head. "I'll see you later."

Kevin frowned. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

"Sorry, but I'm probably in big trouble already... I'll try and come back... Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Yeah..." She looked down. Kevin could tell by the tone of her voice something was bothering her. She seemed depressed and upset, almost ashamed of herself.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. You wouldn't understand it."

"Look, you don't need to feel bad..." He scratched his head, trying to think of a nice way to put it. "I mean, it's not like anybody'll ever find out."

"I know... "

He stood and gave her a gentle hug, something he was known to despise doing. "Listen, maybe that wasn't supposed to happen, but at least it wasn't forced on you. It could've been a whole lot worse, believe me."

Lillian didn't really want to talk about it anymore, but she appreciated his optimism. Plus, he had a pretty good point. Given their current circumstances, both had pretty much gotten off scot-free. But that still didn't change the matter at hand...

After a tense silence, Kevin asked, "You okay?"

She pulled away from him. "Yes, but I gotta go."

"But you'll come back, right?"

She groaned. "Yes, yes! I'll come back!"

"Wanna meet up in Petalburg again? Maybe tomorrow?"

_Tomorrow seemed a little soon, but who was she to disappoint? It wasn't like things could get any more awkward..._

"Fine, if it'll get you off my back..." She kissed his nose, catching him off-guard. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Uh, sure..."

He waved to her halfheartedly as she disappeared into nothingness, then frowned. He wasn't sure of what just happened, but something told him he'd crossed the line. He didn't know _what_ line exactly, but he'd crossed it. Something about the empty feeling he had warned him of a great disturbance...

**_Something was wrong, something awful had been triggered, and worst of all, something was..._**

He shook his head wildly, thinking it was the Boos' doing. He glared daggers at the stupid little ghosts, causing several to flee in terror. This made him smile, for not even a Boo dared to mess with his famous strength. Plus, such a brave and heroic leader couldn't afford to believe in things like "sixth senses". No, that was for women, freaks, and fortune tellers, and he was none of the above.

"Yeah," he laughed to himself. "Women, freaks, and fortune tellers... That's exactly right, so what am _I_ worried about?"

* * *

After a much unneeded ego boost, he finally left Creepy Steeple. He idly walked along the darkened path, finding himself to be shuffling his feet apathetically. He couldn't begin to count the times he sighed on his way back. 

For the first time in his life, he was actually... lonely. Oh sure, it was nice being who he was, with all his cunning charm, good looks, and power... but without Lillian there, he felt like he'd lost a part of himself. Did he really feel for her that much? Was she so vital to him, that she'd become the foundation of his happiness? ...It sure felt like it.

He'd never felt as passionate over anything ever before. All the girls he'd been with in the past were nothing more than stepping stones. Maybe, in the same way they "loved" him for his fame, he only "loved" them for what they had to offer. In the end, it was all just an awful game of give and take that no one seemed to win...

Just as he reached the edge of the forest, a familiar figure appeared. Through the dusky settings behind her, he quickly realized it was Teresa.

She stabbed her staff into the ground. "And where have _you_ been?"

He shrugged. "Nothing really. Just... manly stuff. Why?"

"...You're lying, for I must inform you that you've committed a deadly sin in the forest."

"What?"

"Did you really think you could slip_ anything_ past me? I am one of the greatest Boo mages in history, and I am not to be taken lightly. I let you slide at first, but now you've gone too far."

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about." He walked by. "I mean, I didn't even _do _anything..."

"Princess Flora is guilty of this crime, as well," she said, not turning around. Kevin froze in his tracks. "Our intimate relationship is over, and you've broken it by moving on to another more... willing."

"Oh, yeah... Er, I guess we're old news." He laughed. "I'm a tumbleweed, y'know. Gotta keep on rollin'."

"Yes, I know and I've always known, but that's not what I'm worried about. If you love her that much, then heed my warning and keep your relations to a minimum until the Shadow Queen is defeated..."

"Yeah, right. You're just jealous because of the thing we've got going on between us."

She turned to face him. "I tell you not because of jealously, but because I still love you, despite your past actions. You and Lillian have only found love through lust, and the Stars are not happy with this."

"So what? It's not like I haven't done anything like this before."

Her face darkened. "...But this is different, for you have done it with a Stellar Being."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, not that whole 'Stellar Being' bunk again..."

"You may not believe Goombertha's words, but they are true. Lillian was extracted from the Emerald Crystal Star, meaning that her celestial soul resides among the Stars above. Crossing certain boundaries with someone is bad enough, but indecencies with a Stellar Being yields many consequences for you both. Such imperfection won't sit well with them at all... "

"Teresa, you of all people should know that's not true. Goombertha isn't right about everything, y'know. If she can't prove the Amethyst Crystal Star exists, then who's to say she's right about this?"

"...I know. Your cocky hedonism continues to block your common sense, and it will be your undoing. I've already seen what it'll do to you, but there's nothing else I can say..." She faded into nothingness. "Goodbye."

Kevin scoffed at her disappearance, annoyed that she'd been invisibly spying on him and Lillian. And to make things worse, she actually tried to make him come back to _her_! The nerve! Besides, superstitions were her greatest weakness; the whole Stellar Being thing was far from true. And something that stupid wouldn't stop him from getting what he wanted. He continued on to Twilight Town, not giving Teresa or that dumb legend another thought.

* * *

Lillian snuck into the Shadow Palace, careful not to run into any of the sleeping guards or busy servants. She darted in and out of the shadows, occasionally running into some absentminded Dark Boos. Nearing her room, she was almost home free when she bumped into Kelly, who didn't look too happy to see her. 

"What?" She hunched her shoulders in defense. "...What?!"

"Lilly, you've been out all night, that's what."

"It's not like it's the first time..."

"Yes, well, it'll be the last time for you." She tossed her dress in her face. "You're lucky Her Highness has been too busy to notice you've been out for so long. Now stop playing around and be a_ princess _for once, not a rebel."

"Okay, okay." She slipped it on over her head, completing her outfit with the tiara. "I'll be good from now on."

"Yeah, that's what you said the last time, and the 25 times before _that_."

Lillian groaned. "Fine. What's it gonna take to prove that I'm telling the truth?"

She stepped aside, revealing an eager Vivian. "Handling your responsibilities?"

"Hi, Wilwian! I missed you _this _much!" She spread her arms wide as an example, accidentally dropping Mr. Yum-Yums. "You've been gone a wong time!"

"Yeah, I know." She stooped down to pick up the doll. "I'm sorry. You've probably been so bored out of your mind lately, huh?"

"Uh-unh! Mariwyn let ride on Hooktail! It was fun! Did you know she can fwy?"

"Why, no!" said Lillian, pretending to be shocked. "That's amazing! I bet you handled her like a pro, didn't you?"

Vivian beamed. "Yeah!"

As the two carried on their conversation, a strange scent suddenly triggered Kelly's olfactory senses. She held her head high, trying to decipher it, but was unsuccessful. The entire Shadow Palace had the faint, unmistakable smell of Shadow Sirens that most denizens would find familiar, but this one smelled more like... a Koopa. She looked at Lillian who, knowing the reason, mentally cursed.

_It was Kevin! That idiot!_ _She'd been around him so much, his smell was starting to rub off on her! No amount of flowers and fragrances would deter it from a fellow Shadow Siren! And last night extended stay didn't make things any better! _

"Hey, Lillian? What's that smell?"

"What smell? I don't smell anything," she lied.

"Well, I do." She looked to the air again. "It... doesn't smell like you."

"Because it's not."

"...You sure?"

"Of course! Yeah! It's just... I've been out on terrain all night, and you know how Koopas are always camping out and stinking up the place." She laughed nervously.

"Well, okay..." She narrowed her eyes. "But how'd you know that's what I thought it smelled like?"

Lillian gritted her teeth, realizing her mistake. Out of reasonable lies, she was just about to confess when the young princess spouted, "Hey, Wilwian! Didja know Hooktail can do twicks, too?"

"Maybe that's Vivian," she quickly replied, cuddling her. "You know Koopas are Hooktail's favorite food and all..."

Kelly fingered her chin, the thought never crossing her mind. "Hmm, I guess that's true... Okay, nevermind then. Anyway, I've got some things to do, so do everyone a favor and stay put this time. Please?"

"Yes, okay. I got it. I won't go anywhere." She shooed her off. "Bye."

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she laughed, disappearing into the shadows.

Lillian let out a relieved sigh. _Boy, was Vivian a lifesaver! And never did she think Hooktail's odor would actually be _good _for something..._

"Ooh, Wilwian!" said Vivian. "Didja know we set a house on fire, too?"

"Really? I had no idea!" She smiled. "Why don't you tell me the whole thing over breakfast?"

* * *

"Well, look who finally returned," said Goombertha, as Kevin closed the inn's door behind him. 

"Don't even start it."

"Yeah, I know. 'When life kicks you in the shell, kick it right back in the groin!' Yes, your inspirational words of wisdom are still ringing in my ears..." she sarcastically remarked.

"Shut up. I'll have you know that I'm done with my hiatus, and I'll start being all 'devoted' again. I just needed a little break, that's all. I'm not gonna let tension mess me up like it did you."

Before she could retort, Nero appeared from the back room and attacked Kevin. He pounced on him happily, then headbutted him in anger. Kevin retaliated by jamming his fingers up his nose, whereas Nero drenched him in slobber with his adhesive tongue. The Yoshi's horseplay was a way saying "I'm happy to see you, but you could stand to be around more often."

Goombertha groaned at their childish antics as Kevin tossed Nero over his head and chased him out the door. At that moment, an annoyed Teresa appeared out of thin air.

"Hey, Teresa. Glad you're back. ...Is there something wrong?"

The Boo stared ahead into nothingness. Her expression was a mix of anger and horror as she began to receive visions of what was to become of Kevin. They were horrible, awful visions where his soul, along with Lillian's, would be plunged into darkness until something that would never happen in a million years came to pass.

"Teresa...?"

"...I'm fine," she finally said, floating off. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Along with the Boo, Aaron also walked in, covered in crow feathers. Goombertha raised an eyebrow.

"Heh heh... Uh, it's a little hard to practice with all these dumb birds in the way," he laughed sheepishly, heading for his room in the back.

The innkeeper shook his head and offered Goombertha more Koopa Tea. "Normal one of the group, I take it?"

"You don't know the half of it..."

* * *

It wasn't long before Lillian slipped away from the Shadow Palace to see Kevin again, and the two carried on as usual. As the days became weeks, which slowly turned into months, their meetings became more and more frequent. Their relationship had taken on a whole new meaning full of love and passion, while still retaining their pointless little scuffles. Teresa continued to warn Kevin about his debauchery, but he refused to listen. 

Even with Lillian's frequent visits, the Four Heroes were starting to get back on track. If anything, they'd become even better than ever. Nothing put a spring Kevin's step more than knowing that Lillian would soon return so he could brag about all the enemies he killed, amongst other things...

On the downside, he eventually became obsessed with her. It wasn't long before he demanded that she came every day, not just whenever she could. Lillian obliged, but stated she could only come during the day, as Shadow Sirens were more active at night and she'd surely be caught by the guards. Again, Teresa warned Kevin that their activities were wrong, but he only brushed her off.

Their secret rendezvous went on for nearly a year before Lillian suddenly stopped coming. Kevin waited a whole week for her to show up, but she never did. Fights with the Shadow Sirens had slowed down in general, with battles against Hooktail and Gloomtail next to impossible. Tension between the Shadow Queen began to wear thin and enemies had become scarce. It was strange, almost unnerving for all the fighting to sudden stop like that.

Aaron wasn't too concerned and Kevin was too focused on Lillian, but Goombertha didn't like the looks of it. Unfortunately, Teresa knew exactly what was coming next...

* * *

One night, when the crickets in Petalburg had just began chirping, Kevin appeared before Nero. The Yoshi lifted his head from grazing on a bush full of berries, raising an eyebrow in a questioning manner. Surely he didn't think he'd be taking him anywhere soon. It was late, he was eating, and he didn't feel like it. He snorted and went back to eating. 

Of course, Kevin had a plan in case this happened. He dropped a vat of Yoshi Cookies before the steed and smiled. "Now, you're not gonna let all these go to waste, are you?"

Nero salivated over the cookies and quickly scarfed them down. Then, satisfied with his offer, he allowed Kevin onto his saddle. With two flaps off his large wings, they were soon airborne and off in a direction they knew by heart.

* * *

Looking out the window, Teresa frowned as they took off. She knew where they were going, too... 

"Where could he be off to at this hour?" asked Aaron.

Goombertha didn't look up from a book she was reading. "Hmph, who cares? He'll be back in the morning with a hangover, I'm sure."

"...Follow him," suddenly said Teresa.

Aaron scratched his head. "What? Why? I'm sure he'll be fine on his own..."

"You must follow him, for he's going to the Shadow Palace."

"What?!" Goombertha ran over to the window. "I thought I told him to hold back on that! The Shadow Queen hasn't been attacking lately, so why go _now_?"

"I'll explain later, but Aaron, you have to go along and make sure he isn't killed." Her face became grave, almost to the point where it frightened her teammates. "Kevin has already chosen his fate by committing a deadly sin, and now we must make sure he gets his just desserts..."

"...What do you mean by that?" breathed Goombertha. "What'd he do...?"

"There's no time for that now, but Aaron has to get going. Your arrows should prove useful if you run into any trouble."

The Toad looked ahead in time to see Kevin disappear and groaned. Sometimes he wished he wasn't his abilities weren't so reliable...

* * *

Lillian sighed. It'd been nearly a week since she last saw Kevin and she was beginning to miss his crude charm. Since they weren't working too well, the Shadow Queen decided to stop her reckless ambushes and try another mode of attack. All Shadow Sirens in the palace were under 24-hour surveillance until a new plan was put into action. 

Despite this, she smiled, thinking about the last time they met. There'd been a small takeover by a gang of Ember Sirens in Fahr Outpost that required the Four Heroes' services. After chasing the misfits away with their battle prowess, she and Kevin ran off together. The others regrouped at an inn, not thinking twice about the roaming Koopa.

Unfortunately, being partially floral, Lillian couldn't stand the cold. She trembled and shivered the whole time. It was a good thing Kevin thought ahead for once and brought Nero. And after a few kicks to the jealous Yoshi's head, he persuaded him to make her a fire. He even let her bundle up with his vest and shirt, saying that the cold was "invigorating".

She was so enthralled in her thoughts, she barely realized Kelly until she touched her shoulder.

"Hello? Earth to Lilly? Can you hear me?"

Lillian blinked. "What? Huh? Oh... Yeah, I heard you..."

"Uh, Lilly? Are you feeling all right?"

"What? Yeah, of course I am. Why?"

"I don't know. You're just been acting really weird lately."

She looked away. "No, I haven't."

"Hey, wait a minute! Are you... blushing?"

She pulled her hat down in embarrassment. "Shut up, Kelly! I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!" She giggled, playfully punching her. "What'd you do? Something... scandalous?"

"No! Look, I'm telling you it was nothing!"

"But you can tell me! I'm your advisor!"

"That's not the point..."

"Promise! Cross my heart and hope to die! I won't tell! Pretty please? I mean, how bad can it be? Did you fall head over heels for a Koopa, or something?" She laughed until she noticed Lillian glaring. "...What?"

"...Let's just get off the subject now."

Suddenly, she noticed Kelly's confused expression turned into a horrified stare. Her eyes widened in fear as she whispered, "L-lilly! L-look behind you... I-it's him!"

"What?"

She turned to see what she was talking about, and was shocked and outraged to see Kevin and Nero inching from the corner behind them. The Koopa looked around for anything suspicious, but instead found Lillian. Once he spotted her, he happily trotted over.

_"Kevin?!"_ she whispered through angry, clenched teeth. "What're you doing here?!"

He laughed. "Well, you haven't been showing up lately, so I came to make sure you weren't dead."

"Kevin?" Kelly's mouth dropped open. "Wait... You know his name?!"

"Kelly..."

"Her Highness has to know about this! He's not supposed to be--!"

Lillian slapped a hand over her mouth. "Shut up! I'll explain later!" She glared at Kevin, who smiled back.

"I couldn't keep my mind off you. And when I want something, I go get it. You _should _be flattered."

"More like I_ should_ be furious! What possessed you to slink your way in here?!" She angrily poked her finger on his chest. "How many times have I told you?! Don't **_ever_** come looking for me! I'll find _you_!"

"You should know by now that me and rules don't get along very well. Plus, you have the worst security guards... ever."

She pulled on her hair in frustration. "But that doesn't mean can just waltz in here whenever you feel like it!"

"Aw, c'mon. You know you missed me." He wrapped his arm around her waist, making her pull away. "You're glad to see me here, aren'tcha?"

Lillian could've easily knocked his block off, but didn't have the heart. As much as she hated to admit it, she really _was_ happy to feel his sturdy grip around his delicate body once again. She never realized how much she longed for it until that moment.

She huffed. "Okay, maybe I_ am_ happy to see you... A little."

"Of course you are." He pulled her close. "Not a woman with her head on straight has ever resisted my charm."

Nero rolled his eyes, all the while knowing it was_ Kevin_ who didn't have his head on straight. That had to be the case for him to chase after every girl who merely winked at him.

"Lilly, don't tell me you're actually... with _him?_ The _Stalwart Koopa?_ Of the _Four Heroes?_ _Our sworn enemy?!"_

The princess smirked and put a finger to her lips. "You promised not to tell, right? 'Cross my heart and hope to die'? So let's just keep this as our little secret."

"And don't worry. It's not like I can kill someone this hot," laughed Kevin. "I'm surprised she doesn't have a stick to beat all the guys off with."

Lillian blushed. "Stop it!"

Kelly could only gawk at the two, the irony of her earlier teasing haunting her. But as strange and against the rules it was, she _did _promise not to tell. And maybe that was for the best... She could tell they were close by the way they embraced and nuzzled one another, finishing with a long, passionate kiss. Who was she to ruin such an odd turn of events? ...Despite how bizarre they were...

* * *

In the deepest, darkest corner from where Kevin appeared, Aaron's bow and arrow trembled in nervous hands. To say he was horrified was an understatement. 

_So, _this _is what Teresa was talking about! Kevin had become infatuated over Princess Flora! That's why he'd been acting so strange for the past few months!_

He had to shoot and he_ had _to hit! If he missed, Princess Flora would probably kill him_ and_ Kevin! This wasn't target practice in the woods; this shot would determine whether the Four Heroes would lose their best two fighters... But with his keen eyesight and steady aim, he could hit a moving target from nearly a mile away. All he had to do was remain calm.

He steadied the arrow on his bow, aiming it at Lillian's back. He had to wait until Kevin was out of range, in fear the arrow would strike him.

* * *

Kelly was about to leave the mismatched duo when she saw the glint of something from the shadows. It looked a flickering candle, but since when did candles burn on the ground...? She frowned and squinted as the object inched from the wall, aiming at Lillian. Suddenly, she gasped in horror. 

"Lilly, watch out! It's an ambush!"

The couple had just broken their kiss when Aaron released his arrow. It sliced through the air with ridiculous speed and before anyone could blink, had impaled Lillian's side. She threw back her head and let out an agonizing scream.

It bounced off the walls, traveling down the hallway and even into some rooms. Unbeknownst to the group, several guards were instantly alerted and followed it back up the corridor.

Kevin was stupefied. "Huh? Hey, what happened?!"

_"What do you think happened?!"_ she hissed in pain, falling to the floor. _"Someone just shot me!"_

Kelly whipped around to the darkness before her, able to see Aaron as clear as day.

"Hey, you! Stop right there!" she demanded.

With a single snap of her fingers, a large Piranha Plant sprouted from the ground and headed for the Toad. Fortunately, he was much faster; he performed an amazing backflip, not only dodging the enemy altogether, but shooting it while he was upside down _and _in mid-air. With a squeal of pain, the monstrous plant disintegrated. Aaron finished his assault with a perfect landing, suddenly feeling he'd made a terrible mistake.

"Aaron?!" Kevin glared. "What're _you _doing here?"

Confusion was written all over his face. "It was Teresa... She said you were coming here and... you're with _her_?"

Nero lifted his head, his acute hearing picking up the sounds of incoming guards. He tugged on Kevin's sleeve to warn him. The Koopa looked into the dark, hearing their voices and clanking armor. He shot his teammate another glare.

"Aaron, get out of here!"

The Toad didn't need to be told twice. After a frantic scan of his surroundings, he bolted off into the darkness, almost as swiftly as his arrows.

Lillian moaned. "What's that guy's problem?! I didn't even do anything!"

Kevin scowled at the fleeing Aaron. "So, this was Teresa's doing... If that ain't jealously, I don't know what is."

"Did she tell him to attack me like that, too?"

"Probably..."

All of a sudden, Nero began tugging and pulling on Kevin more. The guards were getting closer.

"Kevin, you need to go now..."

He looked at her worriedly. "But what about you?"

She glanced down at the small pool of blood oozing from her wound. She struggled to stand, but the arrow was wedged deep in her side, making nearly every movement painful.

"I'll be fine. It's okay. Just go before they catch you."

"..."

"Just go already!"

"...Fine."

Jumping onto his steed, he took off, flying right over the approaching guards' heads.

"Look, it's the Stalwart Koopa! Get him!" cried one.

A beam of ice barely missed Nero, followed by a bolt of lightning, a barrage of fireballs, and the occasional volley of poisonous leaves. Lillian watched in anticipation as they swiftly maneuvered around the attacks. Nero flew with the greatest of ease, while diving fast and hard to take out several guards with his fiery breath. They soon neared the exit and it almost looked as if they would get away. Finally, a wayward spear thrown by a disgruntled guard managed to puncture Nero's wing. The sudden jolt of pain caused him to crash into a wall and plummet to the ground.

Several Flora Siren guards used their vines to tie him down upon impact. He torched their hats in retaliation, but a horde of their Piranha Plants quickly put a stop to that. Kevin darted from a Piranha Plant and unsheathed his sword. Blood spewed, guards squealed, and some even retreated. Unfortunately, for every siren he defeated, two more appeared. He fought valiantly, but was soon overpowered by the number of guards. Lillian could feel her heart sink as she watched Kevin and Nero dragged away in vines.

Kelly looked down. "Lilly, I don't know what to say..."

She laughed bitterly. "Of course. What _could _you say?"

"...I didn't expect something like this to happen. It's just one thing after another with you, isn't it?"

"I know. I thought the hard part was over with, but..."

"'But'?"

She stood groggily, still nursing the arrow in her side. "We'll have to break him out now, I guess."

"Lilly, you can't be serious! That's practically suicide!"

"I understand if you don't want to help. It's okay. You've done more than enough already."

"Well..." She sighed, massaging her head in frustration. "No, I can't let you do something this crazy on your own. ...You'll need some help, and I guess I'm your best bet."

"Thanks, Kelly." She smiled. "Where would I be without you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's just get it over with before I change my mind..."

* * *

After giving Lillian a special treatment of Ultra Shrooms and bandages to heal her wound, Kelly found out from a guard that Kevin had been taken to Riddle Tower. This was where he would be tortured, beaten, and most likely killed. Fortunately, since the queen was currently busy, only a select few knew he'd been captured. If that was the case, they had to act fast before she found out. Lillian devised a clever, but risky plan and deduced to try her luck...

* * *

"You've got the plan down pat, right?" whispered Lillian.

Kelly tried not to smile. "Lilly, before we go through with this, I have to say you're the craziest girl I've ever met."

She laughed. "Thanks. That's a compliment."

As they neared the infamous Riddle Tower, only two guards stood in their way. Both young and inept, they struggled to keep their clunky, knight-like armor up and spears drawn. The duo consisted of a Lightning Siren clad in gold-plated armor and a Tundra Siren with her sapphire helmet on backwards.

"Halt!" commanded the Lightning Siren, waving her weapon about. "Uh, what business do you have here at uh... this place?"

"Riddle Tower," corrected the other, beneath her helmet.

"Yeah, that's what I meant!"

"Why, Princess Lillian has come to give the Stalwart Koopa the beating he's deserved for so long," Kelly responded. "Y'know, before Her Highness dismantles him herself."

"Oh, I heard about that! Princess Lillian, you must be extremely brave to take him on all by yourself!"

"Yeah, brave!" giggled the other. "I hope I can be as strong as you when I get older."

"Yes, yes... Now, if you please..." She motioned toward the Riddle Tower's door.

The Lightning Siren clumsily stepped aside. "Oh, please! Go right ahead! And get 'em once for me, will ya?"

"Yes," she mumbled. "I'll try and keep that in mind..."

* * *

Lillian had rarely been inside the "tower of torture", as some called it. It was an awful place where only the most hated prisoners were tossed and left to rot in. Their punishment was based on how much trouble they'd given the queen, and being part of the Four Heroes, Kevin surely wouldn't survive the night. 

The princess ascended the swirling staircase in the tower's middle, cringing at all the moans, groans, and pleas for help coming from different rooms. She kept going until she reached the last room on the next-to-top floor, for it was the worst room in the place. If she was right, Kevin should be in there.

Slowly, she opened the door and proceeded in. Before she had a chance to close the door, Nero growled and flapped his wings violently in an effort to scare her off, but only exhausted himself. He had thick, heavy shackles around his neck, mouth, and waist holding him down. The wound in his wing had gone untreated, causing it to falter whenever he tried to fly.

Avoiding the angry Yoshi, she searched around the bone-covered floor for any remains of her beloved when she heard that all-too-familiar sarcastic voice of his.

"Lillian? You coming to kill me already, or is this the torture session?"

Perking up, she noticed the Koopa was still in one piece and shackled against the wall by his wrists. He had several bleeding gashes, a black eye, and his arm looked poisoned, but it wasn't_ too_ bad. It was a lot better than being dead...

"Look what they did to you," she plaintively whispered. "Those ingrates. I'm so sorry..."

"What? About this?" He laughed, which him wince. "I've seen worse."

"Well, I'm getting you out of here."

He scoffed. "Like I'll fall for that. You've just come to kill us, right?"

"Kevin, I'm serious. I'm getting you and Nero out of here."

"...After you kill us."

She tossed a Dry Bones skull at his head. "Shut up. I've got it under control."

She placed the rusty chains of his shackles in her teeth and bit down. In a matter of seconds, they hissed with acid and melted apart. She did this to every chain until both captors were freed.

"Say, that's a pretty good trick there. I didn't know you were so... _poisonous,"_ said Kevin, hissing out the last word.

"Stupid," she laughed. "All Flora Sirens can produce acid, but only the best are this potent."

"Well, now what?"

"First, take these for your wounds." She handed him two Ultra Shrooms, grabbed a reluctant Nero's hand, and wrapped her remaining arm around Kevin's waist.

"Hey," he laughed. "Look, I know I'm huggable, but can't you do this some other time?"

It took all her might not to clobber him with another Dry Bones skull, instead pulling him and the Yoshi into the darkness.

* * *

The three reappeared behind the Riddle Tower outside where Fluffy was patiently waiting for instructions. At Lillian's command, she lowered her gigantic head and opened her mouth. Kevin and Nero looked at each other and frowned. 

"You don't expect us to ride in there, do you?"

"If you wanna live, you'd better. She won't swallow, I promise. I've trained her not to unless I say so." She petted the Naval Piranha, making her purr. "She's gonna take two back to Petalburg, you can heal yourselves, and it'll be like nothing ever happened."

"...If you say so."

She stopped him. "And Kevin?"

"Yea--?"

He was cut off by one of her infamous kisses, which made Nero gag. Kevin hated when she did that without warning. Her kisses always made him sound a dopey idiot...

As their lips parted, she smiled. "Do us both a favor and listen to what I say from now on, all right?"

"...I guess I can... uh, try."

"Good." She pushed him toward Fluffy. "But don't try, _do_."

"All right, all right, all right. You're so aggressive sometimes..."

Reluctantly, he and Nero sat on the Piranha's tongue and hoped for the best as she closed her mouth. Slowly, she sank into the moat, careful not disturb the water until she was out of sight. Making sure no one was around, Lillian faded into the shadows and quickly returned inside before she was caught. Unfortunately, she failed to glance behind the tower itself, as a pair of devious cobalt eyes had seen the whole thing.

* * *

"Didja smack 'em once for me?" asked the Lightning Siren. 

"And me, too?" asked the other.

"But you didn't tell her to do it for _you_!"

She shrugged. "Still..."

"Don't worry, I'm sure I hit him hard enough for all four of us... and then some."

"Of course! I'd expect nothing less from an esteemed Shadow Princess! I bet you taught him a lesson he won't soon forget!" remarked Kelly, trying not to laugh at how ridiculous she sounded.

Despite being a terrible liar, it was good enough to fool the guards. With a bow to the princess and a salute to the advisor, they resumed "guarding" the Stalwart Koopa, as Kelly and Lillian left giggling.

"Did you really do it? Got them both free, right?"

"What? You didn't think I could do it?"

"No, I just can't _believe _you did it!" She looked to see if anyone was listening. "We're gonna get in so much trouble if they figure out the truth..."

"There's next to no proof. Not even the guards'll get punished; I melted the chains."

"Ooh, clever."

She sighed. "So, I'm guessing you want me to go back to my room, right?"

"Definitely. We've had more than enough of your escapades today... But _maybe_, if you're good, you can go and check up on your little boyfriend later."

Lillian blushed, never taking that name into consideration. "B-boyfriend?!"

"What else is he to you? And please don't say you two went and eloped, 'cause I'll have to slap you silly if you did," she joked.

She laughed. "No, we didn't do anything like that. But I guess you can say that really _is_ a term of endearment..."

* * *

The moon was full and high in the sky as a silhouette made her way through a forest until she came to clearing. Waiting for her was another silhouette sitting on a tree stump. Upon seeing each other, they embraced and kissed. 

"How're you feeling?" asked one.

"Good. That Ultra Shroom did the trick. What about you?"

"Better, but it still stings a little..."

"Yeah, that'll take some time to go away. Aaron shot me once by accident and it hurt like hell for almost a week."

"Speaking of which, do they know? About... us?"

"Nope. I told Aaron I'd break his arm if he told anybody, so he's the only one. I also gave Teresa a good talking to."

"And?"

He rubbed his cheek. "Who knew ghosts could slap a guy so_ hard_?"

She laughed. "You'll get over it. And just so you know, everything worked out fine back at home. Mother got pretty mad when the guards told her that you escaped. I think she even had torch Gloomtail torch a town to let off some steam..."

"Oh, yeah. About that... Uh, what you did back there was pretty dangerous. You could've been caught..." He rocked back and forth on his heels, not used to expressing his feelings. "I was kinda... worried about you..."

"Really?"

"Well, it wouldn't have been my fault if you got caught!" He crossed his arms and turned away. "I couldn't even save you at that point, even if I wanted to!"

She kissed him, making him blush. "It's the thought that counts. Besides, we both escaped and we're both fine. That's all that matters, isn't it?"

"...Y'know, hearing you say that reminds of something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What?"

"Why don't you join us?"

"Huh?"

"You obviously don't wanna hang around in that smelly old castle anymore, so come with us. I'll put in a good word for you if you do."

She frowned. "...I don't know. Vivi still needs taking care of..."

"She's got like a bazillion servants at her disposal. She'll be fine."

"But I can't abandon her like that. I'm still her guardian and... we have a special bond. She'd hate me forever if I just walked out on her like this."

He rolled his eyes. "Aw, why do you have to be so dutiful all the time? When we defeat the Shadow Queen, you can be together again. How's that?"

"...Really?"

"Like anyone's gonna stop you?"

She'd never thought of that before. If the Shadow Queen was defeated, then there'd be no one to order her around, tell her what to wear, and kill every other Koopa in sight! She and Vivian would be free to do whatever they wanted, not to mention their dynasty would be a thing of the past! And maybe the Shadow Sirens would be more accepting of others without the queen breathing their necks. To have absolutely no restrictions like that had practically been her life-long dream...

"I take it that face you're making means yes?"

"Guess I've got no other choice."

"Good. Come bright and early tomorrow for the secret initiation. You have to eat a dozen of Nero's eggs before you can get in."

She giggled, knowing he wasn't serious. "Do I need to bring anything?"

"Just yourself and whatever you can carry on your back."

"Okay." She hugged him. "Thanks for being such a sweetheart."

He groaned and pushed her away. "Ugh, I am **_NOT_** a sweetheart! I just asked because I wanted you around more, sheesh!"

"Yeah, right..." She turned to leave. "Oh, and one more thing..."

"Yeah?"

She blew him a kiss he could've sworn he felt. "I love you."

His response used to be the hardest four words he'd ever said, but now he managed to speak them quietly, fluently, and lovingly as his lover faded into the night.

"...I love you, too."

* * *

**_"Dear Diary,_**

**_It's been forever since I wrote, but I've been going through a lot of stuff. I've finally made up my mind; I plan to leave with Kevin in the morning. He says I can join the Four Heroes and he'll make them change the name for me. It's flattering and hilarious at the same time._**

**_My time here as a resident and princess here in the Shadow Palace has officially ended. Starting tomorrow, I'll live out the rest of my life as a rebel with Kevin, and maybe one day, we'll actually defeat Mother. Kevin said when that happens, Vivian, Marilyn, and I can live out our lives the way we want to. I just hope he's right, unlike his usual assumptions. _**

**_I never thought two natural enemies could actually complement one another in a relationship. I can't begin to count how many times I've told myself not to let it go to far, but this has to be true love. I feel for him in ways that can't be written in any amount of words. He's the only one around here who knows what I love..." _**

* * *

_**Authoress' Notes:** Hmm, at the rate this story's going, **"BOA2"** may be your Christmas present. That should be good, since **"SSBB"** could be owning me until March, lol. Read on if you want the special preview, but it's just a teaser; the main plot still stands, but this exact writing may not be in the actual story._

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15,000 years... Had it really been that long?

Well, she thought it'd been. Give or take a few...

Regardless, she was the oldest of her kind; even the healthiest of her species rarely lived past 10,000... Give or take.

Her existence on Lunar Peak had become a commonly-told legend in the village of Bob-ombs she watched over. No one'd ever seen her, but it was rumored she brought blessings to those in need with her presence. Lost travelers were mysteriously returned home, missing items were somehow returned, and Frost Piranhas never attacked citizens. Some called her the Lady in White, while others claimed she was a ghost who'd dedicated herself to helping others.

But one day, a gang of beings ascended the mountain, wandering around aimlessly. She assumed they were hikers in need and watched from afar, but these hikers carried newfangled rifles and vicious Chain Chomps who were hungry for blood. She soon realized these trespassers were greedy strangers who wanted to kill her for bragging rights.

She found their behavior disgusting and refused to bless them, but they didn't care. Once their Chomps started charging through the snow, she was prey to them. Whether it was the Chomps or their leader, they met and fought nearly every other day.

In a more recent chase, she'd just reached the edge of Lunar Peak when she heard a gun click, and the deep, foreign accent of her pursuer from behind.

"Those tricks 'o y'rs won't save ya this time, Y'r Highness. Say 'ello to y'r subjects for me, will ya?"

As he pulled the trigger, residents of Fahr Outpost could've sworn one of their own had exploded on the mountain.


	26. Secret

**_Authoress' Notes_****_: IMPORTANT NOTE! PLEASE READ!_**_ Have you guys seen Yoshi's Final Smash in SSBB? He grows feathery white wings and blows fire at his enemies! WTF?! As you may recall, Nero, the Yoshi in this story, can do the **EXACT SAME THING!** ...I swear on my DS I didn't get the idea from them. I just found out about it, and the chapter Nero first appeared in debuted nearly a week before it was revealed! ...Coincidence? I think not. Okay, I'm doing ranting now._

_And forget what I said last time (again...). **This** chapter has the 2nd most shocking twist (and several others). On a side note, this chapter is probably the most confusing of them all, so read VERY CAREFULLY. You might miss something vital. Only 4 chapters left now._

* * *

**_Better Off Alone_**

**_Chapter 26:_**_ Secret_

* * *

Ms. Mowz could only call herself a wonder of wonders for how conniving she was. She skipped, hopped, and jumped across the sunken remains in Pirate's Grotto as she searched for a certain ship. Lillian's diary had proved more than useful in her quest and she was one step closer to finding out about her fate, as well as Kevin's.

Embers and Lava Bubbles occasionally tried to attack, but she sent them running with a swift backflip kick to their faces. As she ventured on deeper and deeper into the cave, she eventually came across a certain sunken ship she found somewhat... familiar.

Inside was a Black Chest, one of four from the ancient legend. It'd already been opened, by Mario if the prophecy was correct, and its captor released. Unfortunately, that captor's soul still remained imprisoned, not physically, but spiritually. More snooping around confirmed her suspicions. The "demon" of this Black Chest was actually the soul of the Stalwart Koopa. She pulled his trademark handkerchief from some boxes, along with his black vest and trusty sword, all drenched in blood.

_Yes, everything was falling into place._ Lillian and Kevin's souls were still trapped in purgatory like she thought. If they'd gone on to the afterlife, not one of their items would've remained on this world... She was about to leave when her eyes spotted a message in a bottle the handkerchief was tied around. Pulling it out, she began to read it:

**_"Dear Lillian,_**

**_We finally did it, just like I said we_** **_would. We beat the Shadow Queen and the Shadow Sirens fled upon her defeat. But in the fight, the wench managed to curse us with the Crystal Stars. I got the blue one. Dunno if that means anything. If I let it stray too far from me, my soul gets trapped in a black box, or something. After that, we were forced to disband so we could hide these dumb things. We each chose a place to take ours and made a map to find them in case they were ever needed again, but I don't know where it is now... Not like I can use it._**

**_In our last few hours together, Goombertha was in tears, Aaron barely said a word, and Teresa ignored me the whole time... I'm guessing they're already dead now, so at least they're at peace. I just wish I could've been able to say more than 'Don't lose the blasted things!' before we split up..."_**

Scanning over the rest of the letter, Ms. Mowz was shocked to see bloody smears where Kevin'd been writing. Chances were that it, along with the sword, handkerchief, and vest were soaked in his blood. She returned it to the bottle and grabbed the bloody items, returning through the way she came. She could only hope she'd be able to wash some of this stuff off before it reached a certain Koopa...

* * *

Koops and Vivian both found it hard to imagine life before meeting one another. It was like living in a house with no lights on. Ever since the night of his confession, the two had been practically inseparable. They went everywhere and did everything together, never spending a moment alone. With odd jobs down to a minimum, their days consisted of nothing but bonding and cavorting. Their times were full of happiness.

Koops savored each and every moment he was able to caress Vivian's soft face and kiss her sweet lips. Her slender physique had to be the smoothest he'd ever had the pleasure of touching. He could think of nothing better than cuddling in the fluffy warmth of her hair until he dozed off. And best of all, unlike Koopie Koo, she actually looked up to him! Koops felt like he was the manliest Koopa in town whenever she was nearby. She was like his own personal cheerleader, adulating him in almost everything he did. He should've told her how he felt sooner...

Vivian on the other hand, swooned over Koops. She adored and admired him for nearly everything he did, seeing him as a sort of idol or role model. He was sweet, loveable, gentle, kind, understanding, loyal, confident... The list of good qualities went on. She never understood why she didn't notice this about him before. Maybe because they were both so nervous around the other... But that didn't matter now. She sometimes she felt she fawned over him a little too much, contrasting his true love for her, but that didn't matter, right? Love was love, regardless of what form it came in. All said and done, everything had worked out perfectly...

On another note, Koops finally got around to telling his father about his sudden girlfriend swap. His reaction was shock, confusion, then acceptance. He decided to look on the bright side, saying that as long as his son was happy, so was he. Although, he did question Koopie Koo's whereabouts, but Koops could hold himself accountable for her actions anymore. Deep down, he really didn't care.

* * *

_So that was it..._ The world had been saved, the Crystal Stars returned to the Thousand-Year Door, and he'd claimed his prize. He couldn't believe it was over already. It seemed like just yesterday he was shaking in his shell, following Mario and Goombella around in Hooktail Castle.

...But something was _still _bugging him.

Vivian dozed in his lap while he watched TV. He flipped through channels, playing with her hair while in deep thought.

_Something still had to be done._ He felt like there was one more thing that needed to be completed before everyone could relax, but what could it be? They'd saved the world, Peach was rescued, he told Vivian how he felt, and she was in a better place. He racked his brain to come up with a reason, but couldn't...

He flinched as Vivian stirred and rubbed against him affectionately. "Koops, what's wrong? You look a little pale..."

"It's nothing. I was just... daydreaming."

"Oh." She glanced at the clock on the wall and stood. "Ooh, it's getting pretty late. I guess I need to start cooking."

"Well, you don't_ have_ to. You can stay and I'll cook."

"That's nice, but since your father's not around, I'll do it this time... It's kinda in my nature." She smiled shyly, gingerly kissing his nose. "I'll be back soon. Dinner'll be a big surprise, okay?"

"...Okay."

He carefully took her hand, holding it lovingly in his, then gradually let go as she walked out the front door. He sighed, hating to see her leave. It made him feel so lonely and cold without her. Nothing good was on TV, so maybe he could help get dinner started.

Walking into the kitchen, he turned on the stove and placed several pots on pans on its surface. There were a few unwashed glasses in the sink, so he decided to wash them in the warm, soapy dishwater. He'd just finished the first glass when he noticed something small and white reflect of its clean surface. Before he could react, a soothing voice graced his hearing.

"Hello, Koops. It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

He turned around to see Ms. Mowz casually sitting on the table. "Yeah, it sure has. I can't remember when I saw you last."

"Oh, come now. It hasn't been_ that_ long. Regardless, I've been very busy since then, so please excuse my absence."

"Of course. I understand."

"I don't want to jump the gun here, but where's Vivian? What's happened between the two of you lately?" she asked, as if she didn't already know.

Koops blushed. "Oh. Well, I... I finally mustered up the courage to tell her... about how I felt..."

"And?"

"She feels the same way!" He exclaimed, louder than he meant to. "Everything worked out perfectly and it couldn't have turned out any better. It's such a relief I finally got it all off my chest, you know?"

She nodded. "I see. But Koops, don't you find it a little... odd?"

"Odd?"

"Don't you have a feeling, or a little voice in the back of your head telling you something's not right?"

"Actually... I do," he replied, thinking about earlier. "It's been bothering me ever since I told Vivian I loved her... I've been hoping you'd show up so I could ask you about it."

"It's good to see you listen to your sixth sense. Yes, there_ is_ one last thing to be done before you two can truly enjoy one another's company."

"...And what's that?"

"What you must understand is that Vivian is in grave danger and if we don't act soon, she will be taken away from you."

He nearly dropped the cleaned glass upon hearing that. "...W-what?"

"If you're interested, I'll tell you the whole story over here."

She unrolled a scroll on the kitchen table as Koops hurriedly joined her. It was obviously an old one, judging from its worn condition and burnt edges.

"Let me start out slow. This ancient artifact is called the Secret Scroll and was constructed by archeologists preceding the Shadow Queen's original defeat. I guess you can call it a 'part two' to the Magical Map."

On the scroll were several things that caught Koops' eye. Many ancient creatures that were either extremely rare or extinct decorated the sides and corners of the scroll. Flying Yoshies, Amazee Dayzees, and Shadow Sirens were only to name a few. Amid the myriad of writing on the top and bottom, there was a diagram of the Crystal Stars in the middle.

"Koops, pay close attention, because I'm about to give you a crash course in the history of the Crystal Stars," she said, straightening her mask.

He frowned. "...This isn't gonna confuse me beyond all reason, is it?"

"It shouldn't, but try to stay with me just in case. Anyway, whether you knew this or not, each Star is capable of giving the one who holds it different capabilities. Mario demonstrated this many times. Unfortunately, because of certain restrictions, he was unable to use their powers to their fullest extent. It was just as well; he wouldn't have been able to control them if he did."

"Why? He looked like he knew what he was doing."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. I'll explain later." She pointed to the first Star. "Now, this is the Diamond Star. It grants its owner with great speed and flexibility. Next is Emerald, the Star of Grace. It gives the owner the ability to dodge nearly anything. Gold is the Star of Strength, and grants its user with enough power to crush a house. Ruby is the Star of Beauty, and can manipulate others into thinking whatever the user wants them to." She stopped and looked at him. "Are you with me so far?"

"Yeah..." he nodded, intrigued.

She continued. "Sapphire is the star of Fortitude. It gives its user enough stamina to endure the fiercest of storms. Garnet is the Star of Cunning, and allows the user to use their enemy's attacks against them. Finally, Crystal is the Star of Knowledge. Being the most powerful of the seven, it allows the user to read minds from nearby enemies and predict their every move."

Koops still found it strange that Mario could never tap into any of those powers, but he'd ask why later.

"The stars were made in the order we found them: Diamond, Emerald, Gold, Ruby, Sapphire, Garnet, and Crystal. Each one reacts to the one after it; Diamond to Emerald, Emerald to Gold, and so on."

Koops followed her finger as it scanned over the different-colored stars to clarify. She then moved her finger down to the row below it. Like the Crystal Stars, there were seven small silhouettes, three resembling dragons, and the rest appearing to be witches.

"After creating them, the Shadow Queen put the Crystal Stars to better use by creating seven loyal servants from them. She properly dubbed them as the Stellar Beings because of their heavenly heritage. All seven were made to be fierce and powerful, being of her kin and bred of dragons. They were as follows: Gloomtail, Lillian, Marilyn, Vivian, Beldam, Hooktail, and Bonetail."

The name "Bonetail" was the only one Koops was unfamiliar with. Legend had it the zombified dragon perished not long after the Shadow Queen was put away by the Four Heroes. Many said he was nothing but a pile of bones at the deepest, darkest part of Rogueport Sewers. The very thought of an undead dragon sleeping beneath people's feet always freaked him out, so he decided he'd rather not know. Then something hit him...

"...Wait, Vivian? Created by the Shadow Queen?! From a _Crystal Star_?! ...T-that can't be true, can it?!"

"Remember back when we fought the Shadow Queen? She referred to Vivian as her daughter, and for a very good reason. Don't tell me you forgot about that already."

"Yeah, I remember, but I thought it was a term of endearment... I didn't think she actually... I mean..." He blinked in disbelief. "So, she's...?"

"Vivian and her sisters are Shadow Sirens only because each was made from a Crystal Star and the queen's essence. Her blood runs through them, and they are her natural daughters. There's no two ways about it."

Koops was amazed and baffled that someone like himself would be attracted to not only one outside his species, but a daughter of an ancient demon bent on world destruction. It was a good thing he was already sitting down, as he could feel himself go weak in the knees. On top of that, she was a living, breathing reincarnation of one of the Crystal Stars! And if her mother really _was_ the Shadow Queen, then that made her... a _princess_! He'd fallen in love with royalty?! It... it couldn't be! There had to be a mistake!

"...You sure all that stuff is true?" he asked, breathlessly.

"100 percent. I understand it was unexpected, but this doesn't change who she is... Oh, and one more thing."

He laughed unbelievingly. "What now? What else could there possibly be to this? Nothing can top what you've already told me."

"In monarchies, it's usually the oldest child gets the throne, but the queen despised her first two children, so she reversed it. And since she's has passed on... again... Vivian is now the new Shadow Queen." She laughed as Koops' jaw dropped. "Mind-blowing, isn't it?"

* * *

Vivian walked down the main road of Petalburg, coming back from the shop with bags full of Mushrooms, Honey Syrup, Turtley Leaves and Horsetails. She didn't know what dinner she'd make, but something told her it'd be a masterpiece.

"Hey, you! Weirdo!"

Such a crude remark yanked Vivian from her thoughts. She turned to the source of the voice to see an odd, little merchant of some sort huddled under an old cloak. The necklace of golden beads and ruby around its neck caught her attention, looking similar to her own jewelry. Its voice sounded like an older female, since its appearance failed to yield much more about it. Despite its obscurity, the siren felt like she'd seen this person before...

"...Are you talking to me?"

"I don't see any other weirdoes around here."

She frowned. "Excuse me, but I'm a Shadow Siren, thank you very much."

"A Shadow Siren? What's one of those doing in a humdrum place like this?"

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. It's just that there's not another one of your kind for miles and miles. You must've got separated or something, because you stick out like a sore thumb here."

"I..." She looked away. "I have my reasons..."

"And those are...?"

"I'm staying with a friend."

"I'm assuming that friend isn't another Shadow Siren, right?"

"Well... yeah. He's a Koopa."

"You certainly you don't think of staying with him much longer, do you?"

"Yeah... Why not?"

"The fact that he's a Koopa isn't good enough for you? Different kinds should never mix, you know. It's a fact of life."

She shook her head and smiled. "Oh, no. He said that doesn't matter. It's what's on the inside that counts, not outside."

The figure laughed. "Wow, that's so sappy, he's _got_ to be using you."

"...Huh?"

"You're young, so I understand if you don't mind being manipulated..." She began to walk off. "If that's the way you want to live, I won't stop you..."

Vivian ran after her. "Wait a minute! What did you say? I'm being manipulated?"

"I can't think of a better way to describe it. Shadow Sirens and Koopas could never live together peacefully, so that has to be what's going on."

"That's not true. Koops and I are in perfect harmony. It couldn't work out any better if I was a Koopa myself."

"...Or so you think."

"No, I-I know. Really, we do... because he said... um..." She turned her head in confusion. "I mean, I think so...?"

* * *

Ms. Mowz cleared her throat. "Picking up where I left off, every single friend we made with Mario is something called a Holder."

"What's that?"

"A Holder is someone who has a direct or natural linking to one of the Crystal Stars by their overall characteristics. Mind you, this list's in the same order of the Crystal Stars: You, Flurrie, Waffles, Vivian, Bobbery, me, and Goombella."

Koops counted the names, Stars, and attributes in his head, coming to the realization that everything matched up perfectly. He smiled at the irony of someone as pretty as Vivian coming from the Star of Beauty. Then he blushed, thinking about his own.

"If mine is the Star of Courage, that means... I'm courageous?"

Ms. Mowz laughed. "Yes, as much as it means I'm cunning by the Garnet Star!"

"And you said we're Holders, right? Does that mean we can control them?"

"According the scroll, 'Only when the time comes may the Holders raise their heads up high with the power of the Crystal Stars'. I haven't figured that part out yet..."

"And what about Mario? What'd he have to do with this?"

"Absolutely nothing. Mario already did his part by bringing us all together by looking for the Crystal Stars in the first place. Only with us could he defeat his enemies and rescue Peach. Now that he's gone, the rest is up to us."

"...What do you mean? We already defeated the Shadow Queen. What else is left for us to do?"

"That's the problem. The scroll says the Shadow Queen's return would be followed by another attempt at world domination by one of the Stellar Beings, but that's impossible. We've already defeated all that are living, while Vivian's on our side."

"And Bonetail?"

"Wherever he may be, he probably thinks the Shadow Queen is still alive, or he would've come after us by now. The scroll only says it's called the Great Enemy and shall gain all powers of the Crystal Stars upon its return."

Koops began reading an excerpt. "'...Like the poison of a venomous cobra, it shall spread and destroy the weak and helpless. Only can the light of the Holders destroy its reign and restore peace to the land. They must band together as one, combining their weaknesses and strengths to thwart the evil once and for all.' I see what you mean..."

"Yes, but let me try another approach." She pointed to the pictures of four familiar figures on the scroll. Koops instantly recognized them as the Four Heroes. "I'm sure you know their story. In their efforts to seal away the queen, she managed to curse the stars they were holding at the time..."

"And if they let go of them, a black box would appear to seal their souls..." he finished.

"Correct. The Stalwart Koopa was cursed with the Sapphire Star, the Boo Heroine with Ruby, Emerald for the Wise Goomba, and Diamond for the Toad Hero. As you've probably guessed, each attribute matched them perfectly. They were the first Holders of the Crystal Stars."

"But that's only four. Who're the other three?"

"I can't tell you that just yet, for they haven't revealed them to me..."

"So, what's that?" Koops pointed to a purple star in the middle of the ring of Crystal Stars. "You never said anything about this one."

"That..." she said, lowering her voice, "That is the Amethyst Crystal Star, a star so powerful, no one besides its creator can handle it."

"Where is it?"

"The Amethyst has no Holder, making it the black sheep of the Stars. It's nearly 10 times more powerful than the others put together, almost to the point where it was considered lethal. Because of this, many have tried to steal it and use its power, but have always been destroyed in the process. It's truly devastating..."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yes. So, to keep it safe from thieves and robbers, the Shadow Queen decided to hide the Amethyst Star in a place no one'd ever look."

"I hate to disagree, Ms. Mowz, but that's just a myth. There is no eighth Crystal Star. It's just some rumor, like the Dried Shroom we found in that box. Aside from rescuing Peach and stopping the Shadow Queen, the whole thing was a big hoax."

"Koops, you don't really think _that _was the treasure, do you? Even an Ultra Shroom doesn't deserve that kind of treatment."

"Then, what...?"

"It was the Amethyst Star that used to stay in that box. That's why we found it so close to the Shadow Queen's grave. Only she and her minions knew she'd removed the Star a long time ago, keeping the box close to fool enemies into thinking it was the actual thing."

"If that's the case... then where_ is_ the actual thing?"

"When the Shadow Queen created Vivian, she wanted her to be perfect. So, not long after she was born, she placed the Amethyst Star inside her heart. It now coincides with her body, mind, and spirit."

"...You can't be serious."

"I am. As long as Vivian is alive, even if she's hanging by a thread, the Star will revive her. It's smart enough to know that if Vivian dies, it will die. That's how she's been able to survive Beldam's onslaughts, among other things."

"And when we found her..."

"If it wasn't for the Star, Vivian would've been dead the next day."

That sure did explain a lot. Koops _did_ find it strange how she managed to recover so quickly. Then again, he was so happy, he didn't care.

"Unfortunately, it should've been removed a long time ago by the Shadow Queen so Vivian could learn how to use it, but that never came to pass. Because of that, the Star had bonded with her, making her more powerful than usual. But that's nowhere near how powerful she'd be if she knew how to use it properly."

"Does she know about it?"

"Believe it or not, no. She's in the same boat you are, thinking it's only a myth. And remember when I said the Stars react to one another? That's why she was suffering back on the moon. The closer we got to the last Crystal Star, the more the Amethyst reacted, and the sicker she became."

"But it's the last one, so shouldn't it only be reacting to the Diamond Star?"

"The Amethyst Star reacts to_ all_ other Crystal Stars, but only when Vivian has no coordination with herself. This usually includes fear or extreme anxiety. Although she didn't look it, she was very nervous went we got there."

"So Vivian's holding the Amethyst Star?" That confused him. "I thought she held the Ruby Star."

"No, no. Vivian was _made_ from the Ruby Star _and _is its Holder. The Amethyst Crystal exists within her, so it has nothing to do with this."

Koops thought to himself again and looked back at her. "Why is she both? Is that possible?"

"This is where it gets a little more confusing, for you see... There was another Holder for the Ruby Star."

"Another?"

"Yes, and I think you should brace yourself for this."

Koops held his breath and prepared for the worst, which was easier said than done because of Ms. Mowz's vagueness.

"The original Holder of the Ruby Crystal Star... was your mother."

* * *

The figure grinned maliciously as Vivian tried for the umpteenth time to come up with why and how she thought Koops was more than just another Koopa. She struggled to express her passion for him in the best way she could, but soon came to the shocking conclusion that feelings were a lot harder to show when you had to use them in words.

"...I can see I'm wasting my time with you, so I should get going."

"Listen, you've got it all wrong. Koops and I are a perfect match. I... I can't say how, but we are."

"And how do you know?"

"Because..." She finally decided not to sugarcoat her answer and told the truth. "Because I love him... and he loves me."

It almost appeared the figure was moved by her words until she laughed. "It's pretty sad that a Shadow Siren is actually being roped into this sort of thing. _You're_ supposed to be doing it to him."

Offended, Vivian glowered. "I'm telling you it's true! I've got five other friends of all different species, and they've always been nice to me!"

"Uh, would those other friends happen to be a Goomba, a Cloud Spirit, a Yoshi, a Bob-omb, and a rodent of some sort?"

"Huh? Yeah... but how'd you...?"

"No wonder you're all by yourself; hanging around with that many different people would make you a hodgepodge for sure."

By now, Vivian was not only confused, but very angry. How dare this nobody come in out of nowhere and tell her how to live her life? The nerve! Then again, something began to tell her everything this nobody was saying could be true...

"Perhaps it's fine if you only traveled with them for a bit, but it's that Koopa you should really be worried about."

"...I don't understand why. He'd never try to hurt me in any way..."

"Nonsense. Koopas are your sworn enemies. They're the main reasons Shadow Sirens are so scarce. Actually..." She paused for a moment and looked around to see if anyone was listening. "There's a rumor going around about the murder of the legendary Princess Flora and I've a good mind to believe it's true..."

Vivian's eyes went wide and she nearly choked on her own breath. "_P-princess Flora?!_ That's... That's Lillian! ...You mean... y-you know who... killed her?"

* * *

"M-mom... W-wha...? Y-you mean...?"

"As strange as it may sound, your mother was the original Holder of the Ruby Star, but due to her untimely passing, it'll stay with Vivian until another seven is chosen."

"But... what'd Mom have to do with this? Was she supposed to travel with Mario instead of me?"

"Why, of course." She hopped down from the table and began pacing. "You see, there's already a certain destiny that determines what happens to certain people in their existence. Collecting their power from the heavens, the Crystal Stars were purveyors of it. I won't go into any details, but their design was broken by a couple that existed a thousand years ago. Ironically, they were a 'mixed couple'; a Koopa who'd fallen for a Shadow Siren."

"...R-really?"

"Yes, but their acts together were forbidden. They crossed the line of taboo and loved one another only through lust. After their relationship went a bit too far, the Stars punished them by not only killing them off, but placing on curse on both lovers. The only way to break the curse was with the love of another couple just like theirs. The second couple had to be true, honest, and pure, never unfailing. ...Much like yours and Vivian's, I assume?"

He gushed. "...Yeah, I guess so... I mean, we're not... uh, well, maybe..."

"Then I'll just cut to the chase." She returned sitting in the chair. "You and Vivian? You're both supposed to be dead now."

_"Huh?!"_

"It's true. The taboo couple was the Stalwart Koopa of legend and Lillian, Vivian's deceased sister. Knowing how much she loved Vivian_ and_ the Stalwart Koopa, the Stars decided to make her loved ones pay the price before she succumbed to her original fate. As unfair as it may seem, they planed on killing Vivian when she was only a baby."

Koops scowled. "That's... that's _not_ fair. Why's that? What'd she ever do to anyone?"

"Even though both lovers are at fault, it was Lillian who started it, so blame her if you must. Unfortunately, she sacrificed herself for Vivian, interfering with the Stars' plan and making things worse."

"...Worse?"

"Heartbroken, the Stalwart Koopa eventually died, which served as his punishment. But knowing Vivian was still alive, Lillian passed away peacefully. Thus, the balance was still broken. Lillian never had to suffer the grief of losing anyone, so the Stars were forced to turn on another Koopa."

Koops hung his head, grief-stricken. "...And that was Mom?"

"I'm afraid so. Your mother was already chosen to be the next Holder, but since Vivian didn't die, she had to pay the price so things could balance out. Either you and Vivian would survive, or Lillian and your mother would."

"...So that's why I was spared?"

It was so unnerving to find out it really was him Hooktail was after. He always thought it was luck when it'd actually been fate all along. He almost felt his heart skip a beat at that...

"Unfortunately, the Stars still need another sacrifice, and Vivian fits the bill perfectly."

Koops stood, slamming his hands on the table in anger. "But that's not fair! They already took Mom, so why would they need her?! I love Vivian, and I know she loves me, so why isn't the curse was broken?!"

"It's the Great Enemy. If there's one thing the Stars can't stand, it's being used for evil. You saw what happened to Grodus and the Shadow Queen, right? If we don't find out who it is and defeat it, Vivian will die."

"Why?!"

"Vivian was needed to help destroy the Shadow Queen, and since she's no longer a threat, the Crystal Stars still plan on taking her soul away. Two Koopas and two Shadow Sirens. That's not what was originally planned, but it's what will be."

* * *

"Well, it's just a rumor, but..."

Vivian grabbed her cloak. "If you're telling the truth, you've got to tell me who did it! Please!"

The figure snorted. "If it's that big of a deal, it was the famous Stalwart Koopa, but don't bother getting mad at him; he's already dead."

"...I should've seen it sooner..." Her hands suddenly went limp and she let go of the figure, who noticed she'd donned a thousand-yard stare of horrific proportions. She didn't think news like this would hit her so hard, but it seemed she was wrong.

"You don't seem to be taking this very lightly," said the cloak, noticing her eyes were beginning to water.

She collapsed to the ground, still staring off into space. "...It's because ...Lillian died for me. ...It happened so long ago, but I still remember... I think part of me died that day, too..."

"But there _is_ a way to exact your revenge..."

"...No... I-it's too late... Nothing can be... I-I can't... It's..." She could barely get the words out of her mouth. It was like she'd completely forgotten how to function.

"Even though the Stalwart Koopa and his troublesome friends are gone, their descendants still live to this day. And I just happen to know the one of the Koopa who killed your sister..."

Vivian didn't even realize the cloak had somehow known the relation between her and Lillian. All the emotions, energy, and life had been practically sucked out of her. The sunny attitude she had a few moments ago was gone; now she just wanted to go home, throw up, and crawl into bed for a week or two. Saying she was traumatized was only the tip of the iceberg.

* * *

Ms. Mowz took a sip of some Koopa Tea and sighed. Telling and explaining such a long story had taken some time, but she was almost done. She was also relieved that Koops had managed to grasp it all in one setting, something that most kids his age could never do.

"...You know... I feel like we're out looking for the Crystal Stars all over again. I never knew there was such a deep backstory on them and the Four Heroes..."

"Yes, and this is just the abridged version. I shudder to think of the time it'd take to tell you everything... There's one last part of the puzzle missing, then I plan on going home to take a nice, long nap."

"I don't see what more you can add to such a crazy story. Lillian and the Stalwart Koopa, the Four Heroes, the Shadow Queen, us and Mario... Go on, surprise me. What's the last part?"

"Fine. This'll really scare the shell off you," she laughed, placing a picture on the table. "Do you see this?"

It was a black-and-white sketch of a young Koopa girl. She had dark, short hair, bright eyes, and a cheerful smile on her face.

Koops frowned. "Uh, yeah. I guess she's kinda pretty, but I don't see what this has to do with anything."

"Now look at this picture," said the mouse, handing him a painting.

From what he could tell, the other picture was much more worn out than the other, having beautiful details that almost made it look real. It was an action shot of the Stalwart Koopa riding a black Yoshi with wings. As the Yoshi blew hot flames from its mouth at two angry Naval Piranhas, Koops noticed the Koopa was heroically wielding a sword at their adversaries.

"...I'm sorry, you've lost me."

"The girl in the first picture is one of your great-grandmothers from around a thousand years ago. I'd take me forever to say all the 'great's. Her name was Kassidy, and she bears a slight semblance to you, don't you think?"

Knowing that, Koops took a better look at the picture. She _did_ kind of smile like him, not to mention their facial features were nearly identical.

"From a thousand years ago? That means I came from a pretty long line of Koopas..." He grinned. "That's pretty cool. What'd she do?"

"Not a thing, for she was simply the daughter of this Koopa." She referred to the painting. "The Stalwart Koopa."

This confused Koops for a moment, as the relation between the Stalwart Koopa and this girl still had nothing to do with him. Then, he began to put two and two together. If the girl was related to him, and the Stalwart Koopa was her father, then...

Ms. Mowz slowly turned to him with the words, "Koops, the Stalwart Koopa was your ancestor."

* * *

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ SHOCK! Bwahaha, I'm a genius. Betcha didn't see that comin', huh? Yoshi Cookies to anyone who catches the **"Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga"** reference!_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Lady in White had escaped him again by disappearing into the shadows. The hunter pulled back his gun and cursed, angry at wasting such expensive ammo. Two of his trusty Chomps barked and bounced through the snow behind him, already following his prey's trail. With a smirk, he turned and jumped down the steep cliff after it. Alongside him was a Doogan laying in the snow, rifle aiming at the target. He fired and missed horribly, the shot bouncing off their own Chomp's steel hide. The leader scowled.

"Ralph, we're tryin' ta shoot the queen, not the blasted Chomp!"

The Doogan was a big, burly sort who wore a dark blue parka with sunglasses to see through the bright snow. Ralph wasn't very good at shooting things, let alone from a distance, so he often wondered why he took this job. Then again, he relied solely on his strength. He could take down a dozen Yoshies at once, but at the expense of being a decent sniper, apparently...

"Kaiser, you know I'm more of a fighter than a shooter. Plus, we're startin' to get near the alpine. There could be an avalanche if we keep shootin' like this!"

"Jus' shut up an' shoot!" he commanded, firing off into the distance. He missed his target, hitting and killing a Frost Piranha on impact.

"We've been chasin' this lady forever," grumbled Ralph. "Can't we just give it up and go back to huntin' Amazee Dayzees? People pay good money for those things, dead _or _alive."

"Shut up, Ralph. Y'r bellehachin's startin' ta get on my nerves. We'll hunt 'er until we kill 'er. Have many time 'ave I told 'ou that?"

As he said that, a Bandit wearing a golden robe appeared out of nowhere. He went by the name of Jasper and, living up to his species' love of stolen things, wore a multitude of precious gems and in the form of necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Mysterious and crafty, he spoke in a sleazy, quiet voice that made his sudden appearances somewhat disturbing.

"Ralph _is_ right about one thing... Her den is located somewhere up the mountain and we keep following her so loudly, there's bound to be an avalanche. To kill us all in one swoop is what she wants. But we've finally got her now..."

"Eh?"

"Watch."

Kaiser did as he was told and looked off into the white distance. Almost immediately, he heard a trap clamp shut and a shrill scream. He frowned, confused. Jasper smirked and tossed him a Chomp Clamp, a steel trap made to look like a Chain Chomp.

"Works every time."

"I see!" he laughed. "We've been up 'ere for weeks, an' I neva thought those 'ould work! Good goin'!"

Ralph rolled his eyes. Since Jasper was the brains of the outfit, Kaiser always praised him for his work. It was enough to make him sick.

Kaiser tapped a Chomp with his rifle. "Go'n an' get 'er. Make sure 'ou chase 'er down the mountain, right?"

The Chomp barked and followed the other two off into the distance. It wasn't long before their hunting barks turned violent, complete with growls, snorts, and snapping. They soon flushed their target out of hiding and brutally attacked her. Although badly wounded, she used an icy blast to freeze one solid and scramble down the mountain.

Kaiser grinned and cocked his gun. The trail of blood would lead right to her.


	27. Truth

_**Authoress' Notes:** Okay, compared to last chapter, this one's pretty straightforward. Luckily for you, all hell breaks lose in Chapter 28! Only 3 chapters left now._

* * *

_**Better Off Alone**_

_**Chapter 27:** Truth_

__

* * *

"Ms. Mowz! That can't be true! I mean, Dad! He never said..." 

"Of course he didn't. People don't usually keep tabs on their ancestors from a thousand years ago," she replied, before adding, "Why, he and your father could be brothers."

"That's impossible!" Koops grabbed the painting, staring at it hard. "I can't be related to that guy! I'm nothing like him! He was strong, brave, cunning, and really popular! I'm not any of that stuff..."

"Of you are, only you're humble and sweet, while he was wild and rambunctious. There's nothing wrong with that. Your father has great strength just like the him, as does every male from his side of the family. You've also inherited this power."

"...I always thought it was all a myth, but I'm..."

"Living proof of his existence? Yes, you're part of the very tale you once refused to believe... How's _that _for irony?"

_...He couldn't believe it._ _**Him?** Of all the big, powerful Koopas in the world who could've easily followed in the Stalwart Koopa's footsteps, being related to him had to be** his**_ _honor?_

"Here." Ms. Mowz placed a red handkerchief, a black vest, and a sword before him. "All of these items once belonged to Kevin. I advise you take them as a reminder of your proud bloodline."

"Who? The Stalwart Koopa? He actually has a name?"

"Why, yes. You don't actually think his mother called him that when he was born, do you? Oh, and here." She handed him a Yoshi doll. "When Vivian comes back, give her this and tell her it was from you."

He took the little green doll and, out of curiosity, squeezed it. Its tongue rolled out as it squealed a happy "Yoshi!".

"Did you buy this from somewhere? And why should I be taking credit for this?"

"I suppose candy and flowers would be too unoriginal, so you're going to flatter her in a different way. Trust me, she'll love it." She hopped off the chair and began to walk off. "Goodbye now."

"Wait, where're you going? We've gotta start looking for this Great Enemy guy you were talking about! You can't leave now!"

"Oh, I won't go far. If you really want to take action, you'll need to call everyone together again. Only then can we decide on what to do next." She bowed. "I hope you make the right decision."

"But--!"

Koops didn't get to finish, as Ms. Mowz dashed out of the kitchen and literally disappeared. He ran after her and looked around, but nothing remained. Turning back to the table, he saw the Secret Scroll was also missing when Ms. Mowz clearly didn't have it before darting off. The only thing that remain were the items of the Stalwart Koopa. He quickly glanced around if anyone was watching and cautiously approached his things. Ms. Mowz_ did_ say to keep them as a memento, but she never said he couldn't wear them. He began to wonder how well he could fit into Kevin's old wardrobe... He supposed it wouldn't hurt to try...

Letting his curiosity get the best of him once more, he tied the handkerchief around his neck. He tried not laugh at how silly he probably looked as he slipped off his blue jacket and tried on the black vest. Finally, he grabbed the sword, almost falling over from its tremendous weight. He couldn't believe it was so heavy! He clenched his teeth as he struggled to keep the hilt in his fleeting grip, the blade dragging him down as if it were made of lead. Maybe that was a sign he wasn't as strong as Ms. Mowz claimed...

* * *

Not wanting to arouse any questions, Koops lumbered up to his room, the dragging sword threatening to tear his arms off. The story of the Crystal Stars was too long-winded to tell his father at the time. He'd wait until they defeated this "Great Enemy" before anybody other than his friends learned about it. He finally got the sword into his room, pushing it under his bed for safekeeping. Wiping the sweat off his brow, he was about to return downstairs when he noticed the large mirror on his dresser. He looked down at himself and laughed, figuring he take a look to see how wacky he looked. He strolled over to the mirror, assuming he'd look like some dork much too old to go trick-or-treating. 

...But what he saw what the complete opposite. He actually flinched upon seeing himself, his new appearance scaring him into thinking another Koopa was in his room. He did various things to make sure it really was him, but even when the Koopa in the mirror mimicked his every move, he still couldn't believe it. Koops had to actually touch the mirror to make sure it wasn't an... illusion. Scruffiness aside, he resembled the Stalwart Koopa in every way a guy could resemble someone. He looked even more like him _than_ him, if that was possible...

He shook his head in an almost shivering manner and left. He couldn't stand to look at... whoever that was in the mirror any longer. It scared him beyond all reason. He decided to forget about it and turn his attention to Vivian's reaction. If she loved him now, she'd _adore_ him once she saw how much potential he really had. It wasn't everyday you fell in love with the descendant of a superstar.

* * *

Vivian couldn't believe it; she was in love with the descendant of the Koopa who'd killed Lillian. Common sense told her what must be done, but... Koops was too sweet, too loving, too honest. 

_Should she... try and get revenge?_ No... then what would separate her from the Stalwart Koopa? Her throat became tight as she reflected on how much she loved both Koops and Lillian. It was like being forced to choose between what was right... and what she loved.

Even though such a tragedy had come to pass, she had no right to blame Koops. What would it bring her? Nothing... except more pain. She'd lose the few friends she had and gain even more enemies.

_...It wasn't his fault. It was his ancestor she should be mad at, not him._ She had to keep telling herself this to stop the tears from coming.

Animosity towards him for something the Stalwart Koopa did would be like him hating her for Hooktail killing his mother. After all, how Gloomtail and Bonetail once belonged to Marilyn and Beldam, Hooktail technically belonged to her. But because of her age and no more Crystal Stars to make another dragon, Vivian was never given one. Instead, she was promised authority of all three once she succeeded her mother. Lillian had no interest in destroying towns with the gargantuan dragon, so she passed Hooktail on to her. She could've made her stop attacking Petalburg if she'd been around...

She opened the door to the house, groceries dragging behind her. Koops was dozing on the couch and had just finished yawning when she walked in. But that's not what caught her eye...

_...His clothes. What happened to his clothes?! They weren't his, they were... No, it couldn't be..._

_It was like he'd come back from the dead to finish his job...!_

She rubbed her eyes hurriedly, thinking the tears and traumatized past were making her see things. ...Much to her dismay, her vision was working perfectly.

"Hey, Vivian. What took you so long? I was starting to get worried," said the Stalwart Koopa, his voice sounding like Koops'.

The Shadow Siren gave him a look he was all too familiar with; it was one full of fear and unfamiliarity. He suddenly bit his lip and winced, feeling a cold essence of frustrated anger emanate from her. It was like she suddenly couldn't stand being around him anymore... Almost like a soulless doll, she dropped the groceries at the door and sat on the couch, getting as far away from him as she could. As her hidden eyes stared blankly at the TV, Koops could tell something was indeed wrong.

"...Is something the matter?"

She slowly turned turned to him, the flickering TV revealing tearstains on her cheeks. "Koops... would you ever betray me?"

"No, I'd never do that. ...Why?"

"Someone told me something today..."

He laughed. "What a coincidence. Someone told me something today, too!"

"..."

Seeing she wasn't in the mood to laugh, he cut to the chase. "Uh, it was Ms. Mowz. She paid me a surprise visit today. She asked about you."

"..."

Feeling the moment had gone from bad to worse, Koops remembered the Yoshi doll. Now seemed like a good time to give it to her.

"Uh, here." He handed it to her with a smile. "A present... for being so sweet."

She gave the Yoshi the same blank stare until she blinked, mouthing, "...Mr. Yum-Yums...?"

"...Huh?"

Vivian took the doll and stared at it hard. She squeezed it and its tongue spit out as it exclaimed "Yoshi!" like Koops had done moments before. ...In that instant, she could see a younger self receiving it for the first time from Lillian, squeezing it like crazy to show her gratitude...

"...Where did you get this?"

"Oh, well... uh... I bought it from a traveling salesman some time ago." He lied. "It was originally for Koopie Koo, but..."

"I've been looking everywhere for this."

"Yeah, they don't make Yoshi dolls anymore..."

"No... I've had this since I was a toddler. I thought it'd been lost forever... It was the last toy Lillian gave me before she..."

Koops lowered his head. "Oh. I'm... I'm sorry..."

_He couldn't believe it! Ms. Mowz lied! That doll didn't make Vivian happy! If anything, it only made her even sadder! __Way to go, genius! Maybe he should've waited a little longer... _

"...Your ancestor was the Stalwart Koopa, wasn't he?" she suddenly asked.

"Yeah..." He smiled sheepishly. "Did the getup give it away?"

"...No. Someone told me."

"Oh..." His eyes shifted around, as he felt she was talking about Ms. Mowz. "What else did they tell you?"

"That he killed Lillian."

...Koops felt a horrible, mind-numbing chill shoot through his body. He felt the wind had been knocked out him by a fierce, unrestrained blow that would make the pain linger forever, if not longer. He suddenly felt the urge to take every bit of Kevin's stuff, feed it to a pack of angry Red Chomps, then set them all on fire. _Ms. Mowz didn't say any of that! Did she know?! She said Kevin loved Lillian! Could she've been... wrong? _

Vivian shuffled uncomfortably, not sure of how to respond to Koops' silence. He wouldn't look at her and she was finding it sickening to look at him... or, rather, his clothes. She _did_ notice he was taking off the Stalwart Koop's handkerchief and vest, throwing them on the couch's arm in disdain.

"I'm... really sorry. I... I didn't know." He stood with a disgusted groan at himself, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I'll leave you alone now..."

Before he could get far, she quickly grabbed his wrist. He swallowed and nervously turned to her, expecting the worst. Instead of a glare of hatred and loathing, she looked up at him with moistening eyes. They pleaded with his, not longing for attention or buttering up... but for help.

"Stay with me... Please? I... I don't want to be alone anymore." She sniffled. "It... hurts so much..."

Koops did as he was asked and resumed sitting. She responded by gently nuzzling his chest, crying. He could only pull her close in a comforting hug, rubbing her back and trying to soothe her nerves. It wasn't much, but enough to show her he was really there.

He couldn't believe how things had been going so smoothly, only to end with her acting this way. And what about this "somebody"? What exactly did they say to her? And how did they know of something that happened over a millennium ago? The whole ordeal was shrouded in mystery, but a sudden idea struck. Was it possible that she...?

* * *

The moon had just became visible when a Koopa departed from his father's home, walking up the path to a house neighboring the mayor's. He rang the doorbell and waited for a response. Almost on cue, a female Koopa answered the door. She wore a smooth, green blouse and white skirt. In one hand, she had a large bowl with some batter and a wooden spoon in it, signifying she was in the middle of cooking. 

"Oh... Koops." She spoke hesitantly, as if his appearance bothered her. "Hello... Uh, what brings you over here?"

Katherine was a friend of Koopie Koo's and her official fallback. If anyone in town knew where Koopie Koo had run off to, it'd be her. With a long amber ponytail, she was often recognized by the large, aquamarine bow she used to hold it together. Unlike her feminine friend, she was very even-tempered and was always in a good mood. She was a few years older than both Koops and Koopie Koo and currently lived on her own. Smart, reliable, and responsible, Koops admired her in every way a friend of a friend could.

"Do you know where Koopie Koo is? I haven't seen her around and wanted to see if she was over here."

"Well, yeah... She is."

He didn't like the way she said that. "And..."

"Uh, she's been pretty upset lately..." She looked back with uncertainty. "...She doesn't even want me talking to you right now. Did something happen between you two?"

"Um, yeah... Kinda..."

"What?"

"I can't tell you now, but... when you see her, tell her I'd like to talk to her later, okay?"

"Okay, but I doubt she'll be wanting to talk to you for a while. I've seen her mad before, but she's absolutely furious. I hope you've got tons of candy and flowers for her."

Koops didn't answer, somewhat annoyed at Koopie Koo. He couldn't say he was sorry their relationship didn't work out, but he wasn't going to throw himself on her mercy and beg for forgiveness. Okay, so maybe things could've gone a little smoother if her didn't just brush her off like that, but if Koopie Koo refused to accept an apology, wasn't she at fault, too? As much as he hated to admit it, a big part of him refused to show any sympathy.

"All right, I understand." He bid her a faint farewell. "Guess I'll see you later."

"See ya, Koops..." Katherine closed the door and continued stirring the batter. She walked over to the staircase and sighed.

_Koopie Koo, there're plenty of other willing Koopas in town..._ she thought. _What's stopping you from finding a new one? Why can't you just let bygones be bygones?_

* * *

Unbeknownst to Koops, a pair of familiar green eyes followed him as he left Katherine's door and returned to Koopley's. As he made it back to the doorstop, he greeted a waiting Vivian with a hug. He then wrapped his arm around her and walked back into the house. Scowling, she turned away and yanked the curtains shut. 

"I just don't see it. What could she possibly have over me? She's not even a Koopa! There has to be something more to this..."

"...Interesting. I heard from the grapevine that you two used to be a couple..." whispered a voice.

Startled, Koopie Koo whirled around to see a strange, cloaked figure at the edge of the bed. "Huh?! Wh-wh-who are you? How did you get in here?! What do you want with me?!"

"Don't be alarmed. I assure you, we're after the same thing."

"...The same thing?"

"Yes. The Koopa you watch from that very window. You have something against him, don't you?"

She scowled, realizing she meant Koops. "Don't bother. I don't even wanna talk about him anymore... If he'd rather hang around with a freak like Vivian, then why should I care?"

"But don't you find it odd how he would up and leave you like that? He seems like a faithful sort..."

With a groan, she flopped onto the bed. "Just... go away."

"...How unfortunate for you, as I happen to know all about the tricks that Vivian has up her sleeve..."

She raised her head. "What? Tricks?"

"Yes, tricks. It's Vivian's special ability. She sure isn't called a Shadow _Siren_ for her looks."

"What do you mean?"

"Shadow Sirens are awful, nasty serpents of women who weave their way into families and drive their partners away. You're lucky you didn't have any kids in this relationship, or she would've killed them by now."

This made her sit straight up. "She kills children?!"

The cloak nodded. "Yes, and even other women if she has to. Shadow Sirens thrive by taking advantage of men and milking them for all they're worth. And when they have nothing left to offer, they kill them."

"That's... horrible."

"And it's exactly the reason they're almost extinct. You think people would tolerate that kind of barbaric behavior? This town must not have much on culture, otherwise they'd know Vivian was once a servant of the Shadow Queen."

"You're kidding!"

"I'm not. I tell you this because she's just recently broken up a family of Toads in another town. I see she's your next victim, and it's starting out the exact way it did with them..."

She stood, a determined look on her face. "You're right! How could I've possibly blamed Koops for this? It was all that Vivian's fault! I _knew_ she was too good to be true! Thanks for warning me. I don't know what--"

But when she turned to face the mysterious cloak, she was already gone. She stared at the spot where she stood for a few moments, wondering where she could've disappeared to... Was she even there to begin with? Maybe it was her... conscience?

* * *

Beldam reappeared outside Koopie Koo's window, the cloak's hood off her head with a snicker. "What a fool. That was almost _too_ easy! And I thought only Vivian was that gullible! Now for phase two..." 

As she left Katherine's house and begin walking off into the night, she pulled out some paper and began to think of what she could write on it. Knowing Vivian, the ransom note had to be blunt for the little dunderhead to even understand...

Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

The next morning, Koops opened his eyes to the sound of the doorbell ringing. He saw nothing but pink as his vision came into focus. It was Vivian's hair; he'd fallen asleep in it again. The siren herself was resting peacefully against him, smiling in her sleep. Last night had been a little rough for her and she even went to bed without eating supper. But after a good night's sleep, he could tell she was feeling much better. It was a shame he had to be awakened from with such a harmonious slumber; he wanted to doze alongside her until she woke up, so he'd be the first to greet her. But the doorbell wouldn't stop ringing and Koopley could sleep through one of Hooktail's rampages... 

He managed to get away from the nice, warm bed, throw a housecoat on over his pajamas, and drag himself downstairs. The doorbell had gone a ring every few seconds to a series of continuous, annoying chimes from whoever was at the door pushing it so many times.

"Yes, yes! I'm coming!" he called, a little annoyed. Opening the door, a bouquet of Fire Flowers was thrust into his face.

Behind it, Goombella laughed. "Well, hello there, Romeo! I heard a certain someone has expressed their passion to another certain someone. Any chance knowing who that might be?"

He blushed. "G-goombella! You know?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. Everyone on the team knows it. Your swooning's not exactly subtle, if you know what I mean."

That made him blush harder. "Yeah, well... w-what're you doing here?"

Waffles stepped out from behind her, guilty of being the nagging doorbell-ringer. "More like, 'What're you _three_ doing here?' Plus, who said it was against the law to drop by and see old friends?"

"Three?" Before he could question any further, Ms. Mowz literally appeared on the scene. Koops could've sworn the empty spot next to Waffles didn't have her in it a second ago...

The rodent bowed. "It seems we're the only ones with free time on our hands at the moment, so why not have a little sit-down and some breakfast?"

"Uh..."

"Well, you heard her! C'mon, let us in already!" demanded Waffles. "I'm hungry!"

After Goombella shot him a glare, Koops complied and invited them in. He kept staring at Ms. Mowz the whole time, wondering what she had planned for him now. Out the corner off her eyes, she spotted his gaze and chuckled.

"Are you tired of me already, Koops?"

He flinched. "Wha? N-no, I just thought..."

"Don't worry. This is only to inform you of something interesting I discovered last night. They've no idea of what we discussed about the Crystal Stars."

"...Okay."

As the four sat down at the kitchen table, Koops fixed some Fresh Juice for himself and Goombella, while Waffles scarfed down a bowl of cereal. Like yesterday, Ms. Mowz helped herself to some Koopa Tea. 

After taking a few sips, she spread a large painting across the table. In quality, it was similar to the one of the Stalwart Koopa she showed Koops yesterday. The only difference was that it featured all the Four Heroes and the Stalwart Koopa's Yoshi on it. It was another action shot where everyone busy fighting Dark Boos and Chain Chomps.

"Look here," she said. "I'm sure you're all familiar with the Four Heroes, right? I'd like to take this time to clarify a few things about them."

"Wow..." mouthed Goombella, intrigued. "What a beautiful painting! Where'd you get this from? It's in mint condition!"

"Ooh! Ooh!" Waffles bounced up and down. "Look at that! It's... it's him!"

Goombella frowned. "Huh? It's only a Winged Yoshi. I suppose a black one is super-rare, but--"

"No, not that! It's Nero!"

"Who?"

The little Yoshi groaned. "And I thought you were supposed to be smart... Nero! He's the most famous Yoshi of all Yoshies! He's got to be the coolest, fiercest, strongest Yoshi there ever was... Besides Gonzales, he's my hero!"

"But he wasn't one of the Four Heroes," mentioned Koops.

"So?! Nero is to all Yoshies as the Four Heroes are to Rogueport! He's a living legend to us! He proved to the world that we weren't just pack mules and ponies for riding! After all the times he got the Stalwart Koopa out of a jam, people began to respect us Yoshies more!"

"He's right," said Ms. Mowz. "Kevin wouldn't have become the Stalwart Koopa if Nero wasn't there for him. Rumor has it he took him in and raised him after Hooktail killed his parents."

"His name is Kevin?" asked Waffles. "Cool! I didn't know that!"

"Yes. All of the Four Heroes haves names. Goombertha, Aaron, Teresa, and Kevin. Very few people know this."

"Amazing!" Goombella exclaimed. "This is a big breakthrough in the history of the Crystal Stars! We gotta tell the others about this!"

She was about to hop off her chair when Ms. Mowz stopped her. "Uh, before you do, look very closely... Do either of you spot anything familiar in this painting?"

"What're you trying to pull? They're the Four Heroes," snorted Waffles. "Who do ya _think_ they look like?"

"No, look closer. At the Goomba and Yoshi, specifically."

"Well..." Waffles squinted. "Goombertha _does _look a little like Goombella... She's got that whole 'everyone's-an-idiot-except-me' look going on."

Goombella was too busy studying the painting to retort. "Yeah... And Nero kinda looks likes Waffles. That face of his is almost a dead ringer."

"And what should facts like this conclude?"

Everyone in the room was silent, glancing around at one another for answer. Koops shrugged, Goombella turned her head in confusion, and Waffles idly picked his nose. When no one responded, Ms. Mowz laughed.

"Nero looks like Waffles because he is his ancestor. The same for you, Goombella."

The latter neared choked on her Fresh Juice. "What?! _**Me?!**_"

Koops looked at the picture again and was shocked to see the similarities. Goombertha looked liked an older Goombella with tiny spectacles and no explorer's helmet. She even had what looked like a Tattle Log with her. Nero had the same angry brow that Waffles did, his smug expression rivaling his little Yoshi's overconfidence. Even his skin color represented his descendant; black and white Yoshies were amongst the rarest in the species.

Waffles laughed. "Yeah, right! Quit pulling our legs! That painting's obviously a fake."

"Waffles, she's not joking! There's no way Nero can look that much like you and not be ancestor!" argued Goombella.

He blew a raspberry. "You can't be serious! I may be tough, but I ain't_ that _tough! I bet Nero's descendants are all rich and stuff, with gold-encrusted saddles and diamond-studded shoes!"

"Not necessarily. Look at him, Waffles. Look at him hard. He looks just like you, except black with wings," said Ms. Mowz.

"So... you're serious? No foolin'?" Looking at the painting again, he struck the same pose, seeing they matched almost perfectly. "Hey! You're right! He... he _does_ look like me! Uh, I mean... I look like _him_!"

"And Koops already knows this, but Kevin is his ancestor."

"Whoa! What're the odds?! It's almost unbelievable! To think, all my researching and prophesying habits came from the Wise Goomba! She was the very reason I went into archeology!"

"Yeah! And I've always had a knack for fighting! It must've come from Nero, 'cause he rocks that hard!" Waffles practically bounced across the table. "Wait 'til I get back to the Glitz Pit! I'm gonna become the champ for him _and _Gonzales! And I'm gonna rub this in Rawk Hawk's face for sure! Later, guys!"

"Waffles, you--! Oh, forget it," sighed Goombella. "I wonder if he even noticed that his ancestor was Koops' ancestor's steed."

"I didn't," said Koops, dumbfounded.

"I'm sure it'll be a shock when you tell him," added Ms. Mowz.

"Well, this'll be a big one for the professor, huh? Anyway, I guess I should be going, too... Just wanted to stop by and catch up a little, since I've been out of things to do lately. I'll probably be visiting a little more over the next few weeks."

The mouse saw her out. "I'm almost positive we'll be seeing you again very soon." She waved goodbye to Goombella, who acknowledged it with a nod, seeing as she was armless.

After a moment of silence, Koops asked, "Did you... invite them over here on purpose?"

Making sure Goombella was gone, she casually walked back into the kitchen. "Oh, you make it sound like a bad thing. I just thought it'd be nice if they knew of their ancestor's greatness. ...Speaking of which, where's Vivian? She sure is missing a lot for you two to be together..."

"She's asleep upstairs." He picked up the Fire Flower bouquet Goombella left and examined it, thinking it'd be a good present for his beloved.

"I see. And how did she react when you gave her the doll?"

"Well... I've been meaning to ask you about that... She recognized it, but she didn't seem too happy. I think it's because it reminded her of Lillian and... who killed her."

Ms. Mowz's ears and tail shot straight up. "...What?"

"Uh, yeah. She came home in tears last night, saying someone told her Kevin killed Lillian... I thought you said he loved her."

The rodent then donned a serious look, glaring at the floor. "...He did. Exactly who _was _this person?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. She didn't say. ...Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, it's just... strange. Whoever told her this is not of this town or time period..."

"What does that mean?"

Her fur suddenly ruffled. "Koops, I've got a bed feeling about this. We have even less time to defeat the Great Enemy than I first thought..."

He gulped. "H-how much are we talking?"

"...A week, if we're lucky." She looked back at him. "If the Great Enemy isn't defeated by then, Vivian will surely die."

* * *

_**Authoress Notes**: Goombella is related to the Wise Goomba and Waffles is to Nero?!_ _What an honor, huh? Teresa's descendant won't be revealed until much later, but see if you can guess who Aaron's is._

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was snowing again... He hated snow. It didn't really bother him, but still...

The quiet slopes of Lunar Peak suddenly erupted with the making of a pair of Chain Chomps, something that annoyed him to no end. They were idiotic creatures with one-track minds. He hated them more than the snow.

He stood near the very top of Lunar Peak, something even the Lady in White could rarely accomplish. It was mostly do to her old age, but at least he could still stand lack of oxygen up there. He found it quite invigorating... Everything below him was nothing more than a bunch of dots darting around on the white terrain. He noticed one dot in particular running away from two others, with three more following those.

Emotionlessly, he watched them chase after their prey, knowing the outcome all too well. She told him not to interfere no matter what, and it was taking all his strength to stop himself from doing just that.


	28. Heartbreak

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ You can tell by the chapter name that something bad's gonna go down, right? Okay, so maybe all hell won't break loose like I said earlier, but it's close. Meh, I let peer pressure get the best of me and got **"Super Mario Galaxy"** on Black Friday. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, since I found the last 2 extremely tedious... Aside from that, the preview for **"BOA2" **this time and in Chapter 30 has virtually nothing to do with the previous 3, but Chapter 29's will. Only 2 left now! Can you say **"excitement"**?!_

* * *

**_Better Off Alone_**

**_Chapter 28:_**_ Heartbreak _

_

* * *

_Koops spent the next few hours thinking about what Ms. Mowz said earlier. He stood in the kitchen washing the dishes, as Koopley sat at the table with a newspaper. He'd told him all about the legend and the Crystal Stars, but failed to mention their relation to Kevin. That part could wait until everything else was sorted out.

He sighed for the umpteenth time. "Dad, I'm really worried. I'm not sure what we should do..."

"Oh, come on, Koops. We've had worse things happen," responded his father. "I bet all that gobbledygook isn't even true. I mean, Vivian may be a little out there, but come on! A _princess_? That's like... like being related to the Stalwart Koopa; impossible!"

Koops was about to reply, but decided against it. If Koopley didn't believe the legend, he sure wouldn't believe what he just said was actually true. Once again, Ms. Mowz's words rang through his ears...

**_"If the Great Enemy isn't defeated... Vivian will surely die."_ **

He shuddered at her words. If anything ever happened to Vivian, he didn't know what he'd do. He'd already lost her once, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing her for good. In the den, he already had a list of everyone's phone numbers and locations so he could call them at a moment's notice. His only fear was that Flurrie and Bobbery would be unable to answer...

Tomorrow, he'd call everyone bright and early and tell them of the matter at hand. Tonight, he'd tell Vivian first and make sure she understood how important it was for them to find the Great Enemy and defeat it... It seemed like a reasonable thing to do, especially since she naively believed everything he said. He just hoped she'd actually believe such a crazy story...

Almost on cue, he felt her entrancing presence nearby, turning to see her leaning on the stairs. He noticed she was up particularly late, usually getting up before both him and Koopley; the clock in the den read 2:30. She shook her head and groaned, looking flustered.

"Hey there, Vivian. Uh, what's wrong?" asked Koopley. "You look a little under the weather there."

"N-nothing," she said, sounding out of breath. "...Just feel a little... dizzy."

"Uh, maybe you should sit down," suggested Koops.

"Yeah..." She ran a tired hand through her ruffled hair and approached the couch, flopping onto it with another tired groan.

Concerned, the younger Koopa approached her. "You don't look too good. You sure you're feeling okay?"

"I don't know... I just woke up feeling like this."

"Was it... last night?" he hesitantly asked.

She shook her head. "No, that wasn't your fault. You didn't know..."

He let out a quiet sigh, relived that wasn't the case. Stooping to her level, he gently touched her forehead, feeling a fever. "I think you might have a cold. You're pretty hot."

She squinted her eyes in pain. "This... doesn't feel like a cold."

"What's it feel like?"

She shivered. "Something... really bad. Really, really bad..."

"C'mon," he gently urged. "We need to get you back to bed."

"Okay..."

She groggily stood, walked a few feet, and promptly collapsed. Koops went to help, but she refused to accept it.

"No... I'm fine. Don't worry, I can get up..."

She struggled to stand again, pushing herself up from the floor, but was suddenly back where she started, her arms numb and uncooperative.

Koopley ruffled his newspaper. "You kids need any help over there?"

"No, Dad. I got it," called Koops before turning back to Vivian. "Listen, I think there might be something really wrong with you."

"...No, there's nothing wrong. I... fall like this all the time..." She tried getting up once more, but found her strength depleted. Koops caught her before she hit the floor again.

"You don't fall _this _much. Let's get you to bed before you get a concussion."

Taking her by the arm, he carefully led her upstairs and to his room. Once there, she flopped onto his bed, having no energy to get herself into comfortable position. Koops solved that problem by carefully lifting and placing her under the sheets. She responded by curling up in a tight ball, still trembling.

"Where does it hurt, exactly?" he asked, looking her up and down.

"Everywhere..."

"Everywhere?" He put a hand on her chest, noticing her breathing had become excessive and labored. "How?"

She groaned. "My stomach's upset, my head's pounding, and I'm freezing cold... I can't feel my hands, my throat's really dry, and... I think I might need to throw up..."

He removed her hat and brushed back her hair to see an exhausted face. She still had that fever, and her eyes no longer sparkled like rubies in the faint, afternoon light of the room. They now looked dull, drab, and lifeless; more like dirty copper instead of the piercing, almost intimidating crimson he found himself drawn to. It was plain to see she was merely a shell of her former self, nearly resembling the mistreated outcast he first remembering seeing in Boggly Woods. Her normally soft, smooth hands were now cold and clammy, while her beautiful hair seemed to loose all its luster and color. She now appeared starved and sick, when she was all too taken care of earlier. What could've possibly caused this? She was just fine last night...

Last night...

_Last night..._

_What happened last night?_

...His eyes widened as he began to recall what happened last night,_ before_ Vivian came home in tears. Ms. Mowz's horrible words resounded in his head again...

**_"...We have even less time to defeat the Great Enemy than I first thought... A week, if we're lucky. If the Great Enemy isn't defeated by then, Vivian will surely die."_ **

He gulped. _Less than a week?! That's probably why she was acting like this! She was... **dying**. _

With teeth clenched, he looked back down to see she was shivering again. "D-don't worry," he said, gently rubbing her stomach. "I-I'll make you some Shroom Broth, o-okay?"

"Okay..." She smiled weakly and closed her eyes, failing to notice how shaky his voice and hands had suddenly become.

Casually leaving the room and closing the door, Koops bolted downstairs, almost tripping over himself to reach the front room. Koopley raised an eyebrow as he performed a near-perfect backflip over the couch, landing inches away from the phone.

"Er, you all right over there, Koops?"

"Yeah, sure," he mindlessly replied, frantically dialing Goombella's number. "No problem over here. _Just_ perfect..."

His father shrugged and went back to reading the newspaper as the other end of the line rang. Koops felt like he'd been waiting forever when someone finally picked up.

"Hello?"

"Goombella?"

"Koops? Oh, hi. Uh, what's wrong? You sound a little paranoid..."

"That's not important. Listen, how soon can you get back over here?"

She laughed. "Koops, Waffles and I just visited this morning. I doubt I could see you again at least for a couple of days."

"But this is an emergency! I need you, Waffles, Ms. Mowz, and everybody else to come here as soon as possible!"

"Why? What's the big rush?"

"It's Vivian..." he whispered. "She's... she's dying."

* * *

Koopie Koo stood before a mirror in Katherine's living room, glaring at herself for allowing such an affair to go on this far. She furiously combed back her loose and unkempt hair, pulling it all together with her favorite pink scrunchie to make a ponytail. Katherine walked by, munching on a Mushroom when she noticed something eerily different about her face. Before she could ask, she was already making her way towards the door.

"Hey, where're you off to in such a hurry?"

"Out. To give Koops a piece of my mind."

The other Koopa groaned, stopping her before she reached door. "Koopie Koo, wait. Please don't do anything you're gonna regret."

"The only thing I regret is the fact that I didn't see this sooner. Now can you please let me go?"

"Why won't you just leave Koops alone? He's happy with her, and you should be, too. So what if his tastes are a little... misguided? Shouldn't the fact that he's finally found what he's looking for in someone like Vivian be good enough for you?"

"That's the problem! Koops_ isn't_ happy with Vivian! He just thinks he is! And I'm going over there to snap him out of it once and for all!" She angrily yanked away from her friend and, fuming, stormed out the door.

Katherine was about to go after her, but quickly decided against it. Something told her that inferring would only make such a bad situation even worse. All she could do was hope Koops had enough backbone to defend his decision without hurting Koopie Koo too much...

* * *

Koops tried his best not too look so miserable, but at this point, it was impossible. His enthusiasm was almost as empty as the cloudy, starless sky above him.

Ever since earlier that day, he'd been doing everything he could to make Vivian feel better. From cooking her special meals as a remedy, to loyally staying by her side to help quell her pain; he did it all and more, but to no avail. At least he could tell she appreciated his endeavors, despite them not working. Conversely, her tired smiles made him feel like an unworthy lover. He was starting to feel her condition required something a little more effective...

He'd called every one of his friends, some three or four times, but only two responded; Goombella said she'd be there in the morning, as did Waffles who, conveniently, was spending a few days with her. Unfortunately, Flurrie and Bobbery were unable to answer his calls, and there was no way of telling where they were. Ms. Mowz was also unreachable, but something told him she was already on her way.

He shook his head sadly, almost ashamed to call himself Vivian's caretaker. There wasn't anything else he could do and whether it was his fault or not, he felt he should take the blame for being unable to help in what could be her final hours...

It was late now, very late. The two had almost completely lost track of time dealing with the Shadow Siren's illness. They sat in the lush Shhwonk Fortress together, enjoying the quiet, moderate outdoors like they did every so often. Koops figured maybe getting out of the house more would help. It seemed to work for a little bit, but he could tell by her shivering and cringing that the problem hadn't been solved.

He frowned, worriedly placing a hand on her shoulder. "Not feeling any better?"

"N-no..." she coughed. "I... I think it actually got a little w-worse..."

Sighing, he sat up and took her in his arms. "Okay. Let's go back home. Maybe some sleep will do you some good."

She silently nodded, holding onto him as he stood. Deep down, she began to wonder if she was being a burden to Koops. Sure, he didn't seem to mind doing all he could for her, but she only wished she'd get better so he'd be happy. She hated to hear him sigh so dejectedly whenever an act of kindness went awry. It wasn't like she was _trying_ to be sick; honestly, she felt awful, and wanted to get better just as much as he did.

The only way she could even begin to describe her plight was as those nagging pains she occasionally got. She couldn't explain what they were, or how she got them, but she'd had them ever since the Shadow Queen was dethroned...

She did, however, know they were frighteningly similar to the ones she felt on the moon, but getting progressively worse in a much shorter time. She started feeling dizzy and sick... Everything around her became blurry and disoriented, and the ache was _agonizing_... She felt like her entire body's insides were being scalded by Hooktail herself, yet she couldn't express more than a few hoarse coughs, due to the burning in her throat.

_Why was she feeling this way? What was causing this? And how could she make it stop?_ It was one thing if this was happening when she was by herself, but now that Koops was around, she had to worry about _him _worrying about _her_. She decided she'd show him she could take care of herself and was much more than a hindrance... Using what remained of her strength, she pushed away from Koops, standing on her own.

"Vivi--"

"No, I-I can stand myself..." she replied, smiling weakly. "I've been too much of a thorn in your side already. I... should be able to carry my own weight..."

Her companion sighed, not being one to argue. If she wanted to stand and walk by herself, who was he to stop her? Instead, he slowly went ahead, making sure she didn't fall behind on the way back. ...Besides, no harm could come from her simply following him, could it?

* * *

Beldam sat behind Katherine's house, watching as Koops appeared on the scene, Vivian slowly trailing behind. This was perfect; she had to make sure the two were separated for what was going to happen next.

Right now, Koopie Koo sat inside the house, ready to give him an earful he'd never forget. All she had to do was keep the simpleton busy long enough for her to lower the boom, then shove it all in her face, and it'd be all downhill from there. A malicious smile crept upon her face as he walked up the front stairs and rang the doorbell, yawning. Once the door opened, Koopie Koo angrily pulled him in and slammed it closed, just in time for Vivian to come up. It was time to work her magic...

The young siren groaned and shook her head as she approached the front door, not feeling well at all. If anything, her pain had gotten even _worse_ from the short stroll home. All she wanted to do now was curl up in bed, get a nice, hot cup of Koopa Tea, and fall asleep with the ever-vigilant Koops by her side. She smiled sleepily as she could already feel his strong fingers massaging her scalp and giving her a much-needed tummy rub.

She was about to open the door when something rustled in the bushes nearby. Startled, she drew back from it, ready to disappear into nothing when the cloak emerged.

"I see you haven't been taking my advice. You're still seeing that Koopa, aren't you?"

Vivian scowled. "Yes, I am. Koops is nothing like you said he was, so why should I listen to someone like you?"

The cloak shook her head. "I always thought Shadow Sirens were smarter than this, being weirdoes and all."

"Maybe you had a bad experience with Koopas, but that's your problem. Koops loves me and I love him, okay?" She massaged her head in pain. "...Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go lie down..."

"You've been duped more times than you've been enlightened, and it's quite pathetic. There are certain ways to tell if your 'friends' are real or not, and I haven't seen even one."

"...But..."

"You're a Shadow Siren, something that the people of Rogueport have feared and hated since the reign of the Shadow Queen. The only way you'll ever find someone who really likes you is if you stop hanging around these ingrates and find others of your kind."

"But... there're the only friends I've ever had. They took care of me and everything, even when my sister banished me..."

"And she had good reason, too! Maybe if you hadn't been siding with complete strangers and stayed with your siblings, this wouldn't have happened!"

"No! My friends care about me! I_ know_ they do!"

"How? Just because they took you in and said a few nice things? Hmph, you're so gullible. I'm surprised they haven't kicked you to the curve yet!"

Vivian began to feel faint, her sudden outburst making her head throb painfully. She struggled to keep her balance, rubbing her tender head with weary moan. Unbeknownst to her, this was just what the cloak was hoping for.

"L-listen..." she gasped breathlessly. "Can't you just leave me in... peace? You don't know w-what you're talking about..."

"What a greenhorn! What do you think this is, la-la land?! Candy and flowers don't cut it anymore! _Everyone _knows that!"

"That may be true, but I know who my real friends are..." She frowned. "And you're not one of them..."

The cloak scoffed. "Don't you find it kind of odd how all of your so-called 'friends' are always smiling in your face? They sure don't do that to one another."

With her headache gradually getting worse, Vivian was getting more annoyed, almost to the point where she was seething. "I don't know who you are, but you've no right to tell me what I can and can't do... I may've been tricked in the past, but this is different. "

"I don't, do I? Do you want proof?" She listened carefully through the nearby window, glancing quickly inside to see what was happening. Satisfied with the matter at hand, she smiled and pulled Vivian over to see. "...Then I'll show it to you..."

_

* * *

_"Koopie Koo, what're doing, yanking me in here like that?" growled an irritated Koops. "You almost scared the shell off of me!"

"Frankly, Koops, I don't care about that. What I_ am_ worried about is you and that Vivian girl!"

He frowned. "Oh, so _now_ you feel like talking to me about that..."

She sighed. "Okay... I'm really sorry for running off and ignoring you for all this time. I see now I was wrong about you. I know exactly what's going on here."

"...You do?"

"Yes!" She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Don't you see? It's Vivian! She's got you brainwashed! You don't know what you're doing! You only _think_ you love her!"

He shook his head. "Vivian wouldn't do that. You don't know her like I do."

"I know that she was a follower of the Shadow Queen!" Koops perked up, wondering how she found out about that. "Isn't that enough to at least keep an eye on her?"

"Koopie Koo, when're you gonna get over this? Look, I'm sorry we didn't work out, but I've made up my mind..." He sighed, turning away. "We're through."

"See?! You're even more under her spell than I thought! What kind of levelheaded Koopa would turn down one of their own for some kind of a freak who isn't even of their species?"

_"Don't call her a freak!"_ he snapped. "Just because she's not a Koopa doesn't mean she's any different from us! She has emotions and needs just like we do! Stop being so stereotypical!"

"Stereotypical?! I'm trying to save your life here! If you continue to stay with her, she _will _kill you!"

He massaged his temples and groaned. "You know what? I'm done arguing. No matter what you do or say, you'll never change my mind. We've drifted too far apart, and I sometimes wonder what I saw in you in the first place. Just... let it go."

"You don't even know what you're talking about anymore!"

"Please, Koopie Koo... It's late, and I'm very tired. If you can't act like you've got some sense... then just go home."

She lowered her gaze. "So you're just gonna let her control like that? Be her slave? Be her little **_pet_**?"

"I'd rather be the pet of someone who admires me than one of someone who thinks they own me," Koops spat. A small part of him almost felt bad for saying that, but it was for her own good.

Koopie Koo was clearly taken aback from such a crude remark, but shook it off. "...Fine. I think I know of one way to snap you out of this..."

Koops frowned as she stepped closer to him, gaze still on the floor. He was ready to question her motives when she threw herself on him and pulled him into a deep kiss.

* * *

...Vivian clutched her chest with a trembling hand, feeling her heart crumble to pieces for what seemed like the millionth time. It hurt **_so_** bad... like he'd sliced her open and crushed it himself. She'd almost forgotten the horrible feeling that was treachery. She bit her lip hard, feeling the tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

The cloak nonchalantly toyed with a twig, freezing it in her palm. "So? Was I right, or was I right? Your little boyfriend seems to be busy with another girl. ...Another _Koopa _girl."

"B-but he said..."

"That he loved you? Yeah, that's what they all say. Men are so promiscuous. It must be_ devastating_ when it comes to being a different species."

_...All this time, she thought he was trying to help her, when really he'd been hiding Koopie Koo behind his back._ _She should've seen it sooner. She was a Koopa, she was attractive... she was even _living _with him before she came... How could she've not known?_

Hanging her head, she slowly placed a forlorn hand on the window, hoping against all hope this was some sort of nightmare. A tear ran down her cheek, glittering in the sudden appearance of the moonlight.

_It didn't seem fair. Why did this have to happen? To her, of all people?_ Just when she thought her days of suffering had come to an end, Koops would turn around and betray her... Devastated, she managed to pull herself away from window, turning so that her back was against the side of the house. Her aspirations crushed, she sullenly slid down until she hit the ground, curling up into a ball of failure. She didn't want to look at them kissing anymore; it tore her very soul like a searing hot sword. More tears fell from her eyes as the fond memories she shared with him flashed through her mind in a kaleidoscope of sorrow...

_She could tell when Koops saw her, his day would automatically get better. When she felt sad or lonely, he'd offer her a hug and some kind words. And when she felt like giving up, never to try again, he was always there to lift her spirits and help her see the good in what seemed like a hopeless situation_.

Never had she been so open around anyone since Lillian, and that was a compliment. Coming from someone like her, she thought Koops would've been honored to know how much as admired and looked up to him. ...All she ever wanted, for once in her miserable life, was to be happy with another who _wanted_ her to be happy. And she didn't care if was a Koopa, Goomba, or Toad; she loved him unconditionally. Apparently, he wasn't as fond of her as she was of him...

And what about the others? Were they all hiding something, too? Of course they were. Everyone was buddy-buddy amongst themselves, but when it came to her, everything seemed so superficial... She always thought it was because of her inferiority complex, but she saw now that wasn't the case.

They were all just using her to get what _they_ wanted, what_ they_ craved, what _they _desired. They were all off onto bigger and better things... And where was she? Still a lonely misfit in a world of normal people. She knew it was too good to be true, to be able to actually have your guard down without someone trying to stab you in the back. It was only a matter of time before she'd wake up from such a dream... And to think, they used to bring her warmth and happiness, but the only purpose they served now was to remind her of how foolish she was.

_She **followed **them, she **trusted** them, she **loved **them. She thought they would be different, she though would treat her **better**. She thought they were her friends... her allies... her family..._

Another pair of tears dotted the grass as she began quietly sobbing, harder than she ever had in a longer time, possibly since Lillian died. Her shoulders shook and her throat became tight as stood and slipped off Flurrie's lovely necklace, staring at the blurry beads through watery eyes. Without a second thought, she let it fall to the ground and turned away, her face in her hands as she disappeared into the shadows. Her choked sobs could still be heard fading off in the night as her unrequited love was realized...

* * *

Koops' eyes snapped open as he realized what was going on. He himself was liking it, but his heart could only differ. It was like a struggle between what was normal for the benefit of others, or what he _wanted_, despite the weirdness of his liking. Then again...

He figured it was only pure nature that made a simple kiss so enjoyable; he couldn't help but be swayed by the sweet lips of a girl from his _own_ species. As much as Vivian had going for her, the Shadow Siren's kisses felt a little... awkward, almost as if their lips didn't quite fit together right. He hated this fact, he really did, but...

_Wait, what am I doing?!_ he frantically thought to himself. _This isn't right! I... I don't love this girl! I don't...!_

So what did her lips didn't exactly feel right? So what if she wasn't a Koopa? So what if she didn't live up to others' normal expectations? Big deal! Wasn't happiness and harmony all that really mattered in a relationship? And he knew they already had more than enough of both. Plus, he may've wanted a Koopa, but he _yearned _for Vivian. As he began to remember how he came to love her in the first place, the right choice suddenly became clear...

Snapping himself out of the mesmerizing trance that was Koopie Koo's kiss, he pushed her away. Confused, she looked back at him.

"No, Koopie Koo. I... I can't do this."

"Why?" She gently caressed his face. "I'm a Koopa and you're a Koopa. Your ancestors were Koopas and your children will be Koopas. It's what you are and what you want. Vivian's a Shadow Siren, and there's no way you'll ever truly love her. You're just a little... confused."

He grabbed her hands, taking them off his cheeks. "That may be true, but..."

"But what?"

"...Even if she and I are nothing alike, I really do love her. Instincts are one thing, but... love is another. I know it's not normal, but there's no law in the Mushroom Kingdom that says one can't strive for want they want. And what I want... is her."

Koopie Koo looked down, shocked and disappointed at the same time. She suddenly began to get the feeling that it was her who'd been misguided. There was no way someone who'd been brainwashed could say something so... deep and profound. Ashamed, she kept her gaze glued to the floor, unsure of what to do next. Koops cleared his throat.

"Look... I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I... was just so focused on getting Vivian's attention, I guess I... forgot all about you." He hung his head in equal shame. "Please accept my apologies..."

"Well, I guess it's not _all _your fault. Maybe if I had stopped doubting you all the time, we'd be on better terms..." She smiled. "There're plenty of fish in the sea, and I can always find another boyfriend... Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive _me_?"

"Sure," smiled Koops, holding out a hand. "That's what friends do."

She returned the smile and also outstretched her hand, giving him a firm handshake. Afterwards, Koops could feel a sense of unity in the air. It was like the first part of a complicated puzzle had just been solved. A great weight was lifted off his shoulders, and now all he had to do was help Vivian--

He blinked, suddenly remembering her. "Wait... Where's Vivian?"

"Huh?"

"She was... right behind me earlier... Did you see her?"

She shook her head. "No... I didn't even know she was with you."

Puzzled, Koops opened the front door and peered down the trail. There wasn't even a trace of the Shadow Siren. He stepped out and walked a few feet away from the house until he was practically standing where he last saw her earlier. Once again, he glanced down back towards the path leading to Shhwonk Fortress, seeing nothing but the gate leading there and the citadel itself. As Koopie Koo appeared behind him, he turned his attention to the road leading to Petal Meadows, wondering if Vivian had decided to go make a quick visit at the shop. Alas, the store was closed for the night, not one light on inside. Now he was starting to get worried.

"Are you sure she was with you?" asked Koopie Koo. "I just didn't see her."

"She was here," muttered Koops, leaving. "I _know_ she was."

"Where're you going?"

"I'm going back to Shhwonk Fortress," he answered. "I need to find her. She's... not feeling too well."

She ran up to him. "...Hey, I, um, feel a little bad about earlier, so... let me make up for it. I'll help you out, okay?"

Koopie Koo could tell he was surprised by her offer, but she meant it wholeheartedly. Together, the two Koopas began retracing their steps all the way back to Shhwonk Fortress, not once thinking of the damage that had been done.

From the bushes, Beldam, who'd been listening to the whole thing, stuck her head out. She couldn't believe how well that worked! Things couldn't have done better if she'd planned the whole scenario herself! Tricking Vivian into thinking Koops was against her was one thing, but the _kissing_? Absolutely perfect!

Now it was all up to her, but given her current position, she was practically home free. She removed the cloak entirely, happily tossing it into the bushes and pulled out a shimmering, blue star of celestial proportions.

"The Sapphire Crystal Star, the Star of Fortitude," she said, laughing at her evil visage in the cobalt reflection. "You always were my favorite."

* * *

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ OH NOES! Now look at what's happened! Too bad it's only gonna get worse... On a lighter note (pun intended), I caught a** shiny** Starly and Hoothoot a few weeks ago. Both were caught within a day of each other, with no cheating/method/effort whatsoever. What's that got to do with this story, you ask? Absolutely nothing. Just a Trainer giving herself some props. :)_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Oh, now she'd done it... _

_She'd really gone overboard this time... _

_Why'd she have to get so close to the edge, anyway?! _

A young Shadow Siren gurgled and coughed, spewing up water with each gasp she struggled to take. The rough waters were making harder and harder to breathe as she was swept away with the strong current.

_But it wasn't her fault! All she wanted was a drink of water, that's all! And where was Beldam? She was supposed to be looking after her, but now she'd up and disappeared! Oh, this was bad. This was very bad..._

She called for help the best she could over the sounds of deafening waterfall nearby, but-- Wait... **_waterfall?!_** She couldn't swim through that! Using all her strength, she thrashed about in the waves, trying to reach land.

_It wasn't that far off! She could do it! She knew she could! All she had to was make it... to... that... big rock...! _

Somehow, she managed to grab onto the huge boulder not too far from where she'd fallen in. Out of breath and completely exhausted, her worst fear came true as an enraged Nibbles happened to flip-flop by. For no reason, it angrily snapped at her tiny hands, causing her to flinch and let go of her lifeline. It then proceeded to bounce over the waterfall, continuing on with its meaning journey down the river.

Horrified, she tried to get back to the rock, but the water's flow had increased, while her strength had decreased. She was just about to give up and wish for a swift demise when all of a sudden, someone picked her up.

_Picked her up? From such a raging rapid?_

It didn't seem possible, but as she suddenly came in contact with the sweet, glorious thing called ground, she was all too happy to believe it was true. Whoever it was had literally scooped her up from the water like she was nothing more than a wayward Cheep-Cheep.

Her savior groaned, as if irritated. "If you're going to take a drink, don't do it where the water can_ kill_ you. There's a pond right over there."

She lay on ground before him, unsure of whether she could get up or not. He didn't sound too mad, at least, not as mad as Beldam would've been...

_Maybe he was a friend! She may've been clumsy and not too bright, but that didn't mean she couldn't be friends with him! _

He groaned again. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Uh-huh." She looked at him with golden eyes and smiled. "Thank you! I'm not a very good swimmer."

"...I see."

She stood and watched him happily, almost as if she wanted to play. He raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and calmly walked off, not thinking twice of her. Much to his dismay, she began to follow.

"...Do you want something?"

She grinned. "Can we play?"

"I'm busy," he answered, and kept walking.

She followed. "With what?"

"Things."

"What kind of things?"

He sighed. "Things you don't understand, now if you please..."

"Thank you!"

"...What?"

"Thank you! 'Please' and 'thank you' are the magic words! I didn't know you knew them, too!"

"Look, why don't you go and play somewhere else... er, whatever your name is."

"My name? Oh, uh, Beldam calls me a lot of names." She began naming each one off on her fingers. "Stupid, idiot, lard-for-brains, dimwit, knucklehead--"

"No, no..." He groaned, shaking his head. "What's your _real _name? The name your mother gave you? The name that everyone _except_ Beldam calls you?"

She smiled. "Oh, that's easy! Mother calls me Marilyn, and other people call me stuff like 'Your Highness' and 'Princess Marilyn'. I think it's 'cause I'm important."


	29. Bittersweet

**_Authoress' Notes:_** _Bwahaha. I have officially succeeded in making one of the the most-hated characters in **"PM2"** even more loathed. Anyway, I was planning on having the story done by Christmas, but since that won't be the case, this is my present to all who choose to read it. And because I'm a loser, I might post **"BOA2"** on February 10th, the day **"SSBB"** comes out. But don't expect any quick updates after that, lol. **Only 1 more to go! Can you feel the tension rising?!**_

* * *

**_Better Off Alone_**

**_Chapter 29: _**_Bittersweet_

* * *

Ms. Mowz sipped her Koopa Tea and sighed. It was so warm and refreshing, especially accompanied with the cozy setting of her shop to compensate for the cold, lingering rain making such a mess outside. She looked out a nearby window out of curiosity and narrowed her eyes. ...What she thought was a small drizzle half an hour ago had become a big, wet downpour.

A female Toad sighed. "...That Lakitu came out of nowhere, wanting my job. I mean, I tried to work with him and all, but we both did things so differently. He folded sheets that way, I made the bed this way... We were really out of sync and I couldn't concentrate, so I quit. I'm really glad you offered me this new job."

"As am I. From what I've heard, you're a very trustworthy girl. Anyway, I'm sorry, darling, but I must get going. I'm needed elsewhere, you see."

She smiled. "Oh, yes, ma'am. I understand. I guess I should be going home..."

_"Nonsense!"_ bellowed the manager. _"You can stay right here until the rain clears up! Can't have you out there catchin' a cold, right, Ms. Mowz?!"_

The badge thief cleaned out an ear and frowned. "...Indeed. Now if you'll excuse me..." In the blink of an eye, she'd switched her plain, black mask for her trademark masquerade mask and dashed for the door.

"And you're _sure _I can have this job? I mean, I've been an innkeeper for a pretty long time and I might not be the best shopkeeper..."

"Not a problem at all... Er, your name eludes me at the moment..."

"Swee T., ma'am."

"Ah yes," she nodded. "Expertise comes with time. As the new recruit, I expect you to do your best, for I will not be returning from this mission."

_"Huh?! You mean you're not coming back?! How come?!"_

She bowed. "I regret to inform you that my time here is up. You've been a fine friend, and I truly appreciate all that you've done for me, but I must move on..."

_"Well, I guess that's understandable! Farewell, then! And good luck in all you do! I'll miss ya!" _

"Oh..." Swee T. frowned. "But we just met, and now you're saying I'll never get to see you again?"

"Don't worry. Even if I'm gone, this is still my shop, and I still greatly value your work. Who knows? Maybe you'll catch me on the flipside one day..."

She smiled sadly. "...Do you think I'll make a good salesperson?"

"Of course you will. When people hear you're a descendant of the Toad Hero, I assure you business will be booming."

* * *

It was pouring down rain when Koops and Koopie Koo busted into Koopley's house. Koops shook off the rain and coughed. Koopley, who'd been watching TV, flinched upon their entrance.

"She's... she's... she's not out there..." Koopie Koo gasped, ringing her ponytail out.

"Who? Who's not out there?"

"V-Vivian..." panted Koopie Koo.

"Yeah, what about her? She and Koops go out for a walk and when I get here, they're both missing! What's going on?"

"It's a long story, Dad, but right now, I gotta find her." Koops turned to leave. "I'll be right back!"

"Oh, no ya don't!" Koopley grabbed his son by the hood. "Can't you see how bad this storm is? It's way too dark, wet, and dangerous out there! You kids could end up getting hurt! You're both staying right here until this all clears up!"

"But Vivian--"

Koopie Koo shrugged. "Koops, face it; she's gone. We've looked everywhere..._ three_ times!"

He shook his head. "No, she has to be out there somewhere! We gotta keep looking! She can't have gone too far!"

He struggled against his father's unyielding strength and soon, seeing as it was useless, quickly slipped out of his jacket and bolted out the front door. Unfortunately, he missed the first step and tripped over himself, falling down the stairs and landing in a big mud puddle.

"Ouch..." he moaned, rubbing his shell.

"Oh no!" squealed Koopie Koo. "Koops, you almost broke your neck! Get back in here before you really hurt yourself!"

Koopley shook his fist. "Yeah, or before I do it for you!"

Ignoring them both, he was about to dash down the path to Shhwonk Fortress when something in the muck caught his eye. Its golden, beaded structure commanded his attention as he reached over and fished it out of the mud.

"What?" Koopie Koo looked at the item. "What is it? What's that?"

"...Flurrie's necklace."

* * *

Almost an hour later, there was a knock at the door, with someone madly ringing the doorbell. Startled, Koopley hurriedly ran to answer it, almost being run over by group of seemingly random people. As a weary Koopie Koo and frustrated Koops sat up from the couch, they quickly realized them as Mario's partners. All four were soaking wet from outside, but they'd made it, nonetheless. To Koops' surprise, even Flurrie and Bobbery--both who'd been unreachable--were with them.

"My, that trip certainly was ghastly!" said Bobbery. "It wasn't easy, but at least we all got here in one piece!"

"We would've gotten here sooner if a certain somebody didn't keep getting us lost!" grumbled Goombella.

"So I made a couple of wrong turns on the way... Big deal!" spat Waffles. "Like the old man said, we're here!"

Koopley raised an eyebrow. "Yeah... But _why _are you here?"

"It's okay, Dad. I sent for them," sighed Koops.

"I was pressed for time, but I finally managed to get in contact with Flurrie and Bobbery liked you asked me to," said Goombella. "You wouldn't believe all the people I had to call and all the phone numbers I had to write down!"

He smiled sadly. "Thanks, I appreciate it. And I'm really glad you could all make it here on such short notice."

"Yeah, dude! So what happened with Vivian? Is she okay?" asked Waffles.

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't know? Whaddya mean you don't know?!"

"I mean, I don't know. She's... gone."

Flurrie gasped. "Oh no... You mean... departed?"

Koops shuddered, the very thought making him sick. "No... I mean she's vanished. She just disappeared, and I have no idea where she could've gone. I think she might've been kidnapped."

"Why do you say that?" asked Bobbery.

Koopie Koo held up Flurrie's dirty necklace. "Because he found this outside."

Goombella gasped. "Flurrie's necklace! Something _must've _happened to her; she never goes anywhere without that!"

"Ooh, whoever did this is gonna get a fistful of... of...! Of something!" grumbled the feisty, little Yoshi.

"Before we do that, there's something I need to tell you guys. You see... Ms. Mowz came by a few days ago and... said some things..."

"Oh, you mean the whole 'your ancestors were part of the Four Heroes' thing? Don't worry, we already told them that!" beamed Goombella.

"No, no... It's something else."

"Something else?" questioned the Cloud Spirit. "What else _is _there?"

Koops flopped back down on the couch. "I think you all should sit down. This might take a while..."

* * *

The storm outside show no signs of letting up as Koops told the legend of the Crystal Stars to his friends. Curious, even Koopley and Koopie Koo hung around to hear it. Needless to say, everyone was in shock when he finished.

"Wow..." mouthed Goombella. "So, Vivian was _made _from a Crystal Star, and is a _princess_?!"

"And her sister was in love with your great-great... er, whatever?" asked Waffles.

"_And_ we're each bonded to a different Crystal Star?" questioned Bobbery.

"Not to mention sweet, little Vivian heralds yet another Crystal Star? One more powerful than all the others combined?" Flurrie shook her head. "Dear me, this is outrageous!"

"Koops, I never knew," said Koopie Koo, sounding impressed. "No offense, but you're the last person I would've thought was descended from the Stalwart Koopa... er, I mean, Kevin."

Koopley crossed his arms and laughed. "Tell me about it. I guess that explains how I almost single-handedly defeated Hooktail... I may be strong, but I didn't think I was _that _strong. It's very flattering, really."

"Maybe..." grumbled Koops. "But Vivian's still missing."

"I doubt we can get far out in this mess," said Bobbery looking out a window. "A storm like this would be unsailable in the high seas. We should wait it out."

Koopie Koo put a hand on Koops' shoulder. "Yeah. Meanwhile, you should get some rest. As a matter of fact, we all should."

Everyone nodded and agreed until Waffles spat out, "Can we at least eat before we go to bed?! I'm starving!"

"Waffles!" growled Goombella.

"Well, I _am_!"

* * *

Tucked snugly in bed, Koops let out a deep, depressing sigh. He never realized how empty the room was without Vivian at his side. Even with all of his friends staying the night, their presence did nothing to quell his loneliness. Bobbery and Flurrie slept downstairs on the couch, while Koopie Koo took the room that once belonged to her; the one that Vivian was allowed to stay in before she realized Koops' was more inviting. Waffles and Goombella were sleeping at the foot of his bed, awkwardly wrapped in their blankets and pillows, the result of a small scuffle before they finally tired themselves out and went to sleep.

It had to be at least a quarter after midnight and he was wide awake, staring at the ceiling. He absentmindedly moved his arm across the bed, but was disappointed to only feel cold sheets next to him. How he missed reaching over and touching Vivian's warm, fluffy hair... She was always nearby when he went to sleep.

He pulled back his hand and turned to face the other way. This new position helped a little, but not much. Another sigh escaped him as he pulled the covers over his head and tried again to get some sleep. He just hoped Vivian was somewhere safe and warm in the dreary downpour of outside. Then again, hope could only do so much...

* * *

The rain from last night may've been bad, but it sure let the most beautiful things behind. The forest shimmered and sparkled with the remains of the fresh shower it received earlier. The sun's rays tricked through the wet leaves, reflecting off them to make the grass glisten as if it was full of tiny, discarded diamonds. The dark, angry clouds had parted and disappeared, only leaving happy white ones to lazily float by, all going somewhere yet nowhere.

Ms. Mowz's nose twitched, smelling the damp air. It was morning; the perfect time to find a certain runaway and bring her to her senses. She closed her eyes in reflection, thinking about the stranger who'd started this whole mess in the first place. Of course, it wasn't like she didn't know who it was. She may've been a bit dumbfounded when Koops first mentioned her the other day, but she knew the culprit all too well now.

While she calmly strolled through Shhwonk Fortress, she took her time in admiring the scenery. Out of all the dark, dangerous places she could've run off to, it was good thing she found solitude in such a serene place. She finally came to a small opening in the last fortress that led to a soggy underground full of Fuzzies. She sniffed the damp air for a second, took two more steps, and found a strand of distinctive, pink hair hanging from a sapling. At that moment, her sensitive ears began to twitch as she heard someone sniffling, occasionally coughing.

Closing her eyes, she ran the strand of hair under her nose and sighed. "Vivian, it's time for you to come out now. There's no use in you hiding any longer."

_"...Go away..."_ said a voice from nowhere. _"Just... just leave me alone..."_

"I'm afraid I can't do that, for you must do one last thing... for your friends."

_"I don't care. I have no friends... Only backstabbing cowards who're full of lies!"_ She started crying.

"Please try to understand. What you saw last night was only a small mishap. Yes, it's true that Koops and Koopie Koo were very close friends when they were younger, and he almost developed a passion for her... but he didn't. After seeing you, he realized that he shared his love with another. Perhaps it wasn't clear at first, but it's plain to see now that he really does love you."

_"No, you were wrong... Wrong about all of it. Koops doesn't love me. He was just... using me. ...Probably like and you and everyone else."_

"I assure you no one's trying to use you. We're all still your friends, and will be for as long as we are able... Maybe even longer, if it's possible."

_"Liar!"_ she hiccupped. _"You were all just waiting for me to let my guard down! Then you'd... you'd..."_ Her crying resumed.

"Vivian, have we ever once turned out backs on you? Have we ever left you to fend for yourself? Even when we knew you were once against us, we still took you in. That's because we knew you had a good heart and only wanted to be acknowledged."

She listened for the response of her wispy voice from the shadows, instead hearing a soft sigh.

_"...But Koops is **descended **from the Stalwart Koopa. ...And he killed Lillian... Then this happens. ...Why didn't you tell me?"_

"Because it's not true."

_"How would you know?! You weren't there! You didn't see it with your own eyes!"_

"And neither did you."

_"..."_

"Would you rather have enemies who're trying to be your friends, or friends you only_ think_ are your enemies? ...Come out now. You've been misinformed, I'm afraid, and I'm here to tell you everything." She narrowed her eyes. "...Or you can just stay down there and wallow around in the darkness forever, never knowing what could've been. Choose your answer wisely."

After a minute or so, the Shadow Siren reluctantly rose from the shadows behind a tree, refusing to look her in the eye.

**_"...What?"_** she growled, animosity dripping in her tired voice. She had an eerie way of showing her depression, as everything around the tree suddenly became enveloped in darkness with her appearance.

"Vivian, the Stalwart Koopa had nothing to do with Lillian's passing. If anything, he would've fought to keep her alive."

"...That's not true. Koopas and Shadow Sirens don't mix. It's... not the way things go."

"It's not?" She pulled out an old letter. "Then I shall read this, a letter from the Stalwart Koopa to Lillian, and see if you still think so."

The siren grumbled and crossed her arms, turning until only a curl of her cotton candy hair could be seen from behind the tree. She disapproved of the whole thing entirely; there was no way anything sent from that slaughterer could be of any importance!

**_"Dear Lillian,_**

**_We finally did it, just like I said we_** **_would. We beat the Shadow Queen and the Shadow Sirens fled upon her defeat. But in the fight, the wench managed to curse us with the Crystal Stars. I got the blue one. Dunno if that means anything. If I let it stray too far from me, my soul gets trapped in a black box, or something. After that, we were forced to disband so we could hide these dumb things. We each chose a place to take ours and made a map to find them in case they were ever needed again, but I don't know where it is now... Not like I can use it._**

**_In our last few hours together, Goombertha was in tears, Aaron barely said a word, and Teresa ignored me the whole time... I'm guessing they're already dead now, so at least they're at peace. I just wish I could've been able to say more than 'Don't lose the blasted things!' before we split up..."_**

For a split second, Vivian had to admit she was a little surprised the Stalwart Koops was referring to Lillian so casually. Curious, she almost approached, but suddenly snapped herself out of it and quickly resumed hiding, sniffling and wiping away a stray tear.

"...So what?" she huffed. "That doesn't prove anything..."

"But wait, there's more..." replied Ms. Mowz, continuing the letter.

**_"Ironically, I lost the map to Keelhaul Key, so I've been sailing the ocean for weeks trying to find it so I can dump this stupid thing. And Nero's no longer me. We got lost, so he flew off in search of food, and I haven't seen him since. I think he might be dead, too, the knucklehead._**

**_I know you're gone, but I feel like you still deserve this. I'm so sorry for my behavior before. I really wasn't serious about our affair when we first met, and I feel awful about how immature I acted. You may've found it charming, but I could've been a lot more passionate if I'd known much I'd grow to love you. Really, I'm literally bawling as I write this. Life's just not worth living if you're not here with me. It's too bad it took me 'til now to see that. _**

**_I can see Captain Cortez's ship about a mile off now, and I'm hoping he can put me out of my misery. I'm tired, sick, and haven't eaten in days, so I'll tell him to make it swift. Here's to hoping I'll get to see you again somewhere in paradise, the great beyond, or whatever. Maybe then, we can start over."_**

...There was an awkward pause before Vivian shyly peeked from behind the tree, unsure of what to say. Her mind was in a whirl, her emotions were all mixed up, and she still had those aches and pains from last night. All that put together with a foreboding feeling of disbelief and she found herself with a big, fat headache.

"So... You mean...?"

"Yes. The Stalwart Koopa didn't kill Lillian. As you can see from this letter, he actually loved her."

Vivian timidly ventured forth, taking the letter with trembling hands and reading it her herself over and over again. Unable to see any sort of flaw, she tilted her head in confusion.

"But she said... She said you were the enemy... And Koops, he... It doesn't make any sense..." She rubbed her head with a hiss of pain.

"Although they expressed it in a way different from you and Koops, the two loved each other just as much. They would want nothing more than be together again, and in order for that to happen, you must forgive your partner and uphold your duty."

She smiled weakly and read the last parts of the letter again, tears in her eyes. "...He really did love her. H-he... he really did..."

"Yes. And now that you know that, you probably now know not to believe what some stranger tells you. Whoever said such nonsense was obviously lying--"

Before she could finish, a sudden wave of nausea hit Vivian hard, causing her to collapse with a soft moan.

The mouse wasn't at all surprised or concerned by this. Refusing to move from her spot, she calmly asked, "Hmm, are you all right? You don't seem to be... up to snuff today."

"...Oh, I don't know what happened..." she responded, woozily sitting up. "I... just lost... my balance... I think all of this is going to my head..."

"You've been feeling like this for quite some time, haven't you?"

"Well... yes..."

"...Do you suddenly feel the urge to go somewhere? Or like something is missing? A strange feeling? Sixth sense, perhaps?"

"Yes... Actually, I do..."

"That's the Amethyst Crystal Star, the one that resides in your very soul." Vivian's face blanched as she experienced a swift feeling of déjà vu. Her words sounded almost exactly like Grodus' back on the moon. "I understand you don't believe it exists, but I'm hoping that letter gave you an insight of the matter at hand. Never have I once kept anything from you, and I don't intend on starting now. Besides, how could I be lying if I guessed all of your symptoms correctly?"

Despite her having a good point, Vivian was still a little skeptical. She'd never seen the Amethyst Crystal Star and Lillian said herself it was only a myth. Everything she'd ever heard on it was always an assumption, a tall tale, or just plain nonsense. Ms. Mowz could tell by her puzzled expression she'd need more proof.

"Yes, yes. I know you think it's simply a 'myth' or an 'illusion', but that's only because it's been hiding within your body ever since the day you were born. Before then, all knew it was quite real."

"...But that's impossible. I'm already a Cryst--" She abruptly stopped, mouth agape.

"A what?"

"..." Vivian only stared at her. Her eyes may've been hidden, but the horror could easily be seen on her face.

"In case you haven't guessed, I already know. About the Crystal Stars, the Stellar Beings... everything. I know it all."

"Y-you do?"

"Of course. ...Although, how is not of your concern at the moment."

"But I... I didn't want _anyone_ to know. It's bad enough being what I am, and all..." She huddled herself together in shame. "Oh, what was Mother thinking...?"

"Only of her power sources. She was planning on letting you rule with it one day, but then she was defeated and it was never taken out. Obviously, you two soon became one."

"That would explain a lot. From all the weird stuff that's been going on. I should've figured it out sooner, but..."

"The Amethyst Star has always been doing its best to keep you alive while, at the same time, looking out for any missing Stars. I'm sure anything you experienced that was out of the ordinary was of its doing." She turned around. "Remember back on the moon?"

She lowered her head, ashamed of her manic actions against Grodus. "...Yes."

"That display was of the Amethyst Star, not yours. It gives you tremendous strength when it senses you're very angry or frightened. Of course, that was only a fraction of its power."

"That_ does_ happen sometimes," she replied, looking at her hands. "When I get really upset, it's like I can't control myself... And things just end up broken and smashed... I never could figure out how it happened. It was all... a blur."

Ms. Mowz nodded, her back still turned. "Now that we're on the same page, does this mean you're willing to give the 'backstabbing cowards' another chance?"

She flinched at that name, realizing how harsh it sounded. "I... I'm really sorry about that. I was just a little--"

"No need to apologize. Now, about that favor..."

"Favor?"

"Yes. We, as your friends, require your help to defeat our greatest adversary yet: the Great Enemy."

"The Great... Enemy?"

"Exactly. Judging from your unstableness and fainting spells, the unity of Crystal Stars has been broken. Not only is one missing, but they all are, therefore, the Amethyst Star is reacting seven times more than usual. That can only mean one thing..." She faced her. "Someone has stolen them from the Thousand-Year Door."

"But how? Didn't Mario seal them back with the map before he left? Until they run out of power again, only he can remove them."

"There's no doubt the perpetrator has some magic up their sleeve. Somehow, they must've bypassed those restrictions and forced the Crystal Stars out of their proper places. And unless they're returned, havoc and destruction will surely commence. We must journey to the Frozen Palace and put an end to this before the world falls under the veil of darkness once more."

"The Frozen Palace? Where's that?"

"It's where our destiny is... And the Crystal Stars. All I can say is one certain individual has gone about changing the Shadow Palace to suit their own needs..."

A look of determination crossed her face. "And it's up to me to stop this Great Enemy?"

"I never said that. Since Mario is gone, only with the all seven of us will the Crystal Stars be gathered again. In this dire hour, only when all of us combine will we be able to match the strength that he had with the Stars."

"That may be true, but I... I can't let you guys go back there. It's even more dangerous than before. ...I'd never forgive myself if Koops--" She slapped a hand over her mouth and blushed.

Ms. Mowz eyed her. "Hmm, I'm sorry? Did I hear what I think I just heard?"

"No! _No!_" She pulled her hat down over her face. "...I don't even wanna think about him! Just forget it!"

"I see you're in a bit of a predicament. You're an innocent, honest lover who's been let down so many times... It's difficult to tell if the one you've fallen for has fallen for you. Am I right?"

Vivian turned away, the sight of Koops and Koopie Koo kissing so _passionately_ still fresh in her mind. And the words of the mysterious cloak weren't helping much, either. She sighed, running a frustrated hand through her hair.

"I don't know..."

"Well, the decision is all up to you. I'm sure Koops would love to know of your whereabouts, but for the sake of your privacy, I won't tell him if you don't want me to."

"...Please don't."

"Very well, then." She started walking off. "As for me, I plan to join up with the others so we can work out another plan. You have you own path to follow."

"But I thought you needed me. Didn't you say everyone had to come together for us to win?"

"We do, but I refuse to force you into it. Even if you did come, your Crystal Star will only work if you put your mind into it. Yours is obviously conflicted at the moment, so I'll let you be. Wish us luck, as I do the same for you."

She was about to ask something else, but it was too late; in the blink of an eye, Ms. Mowz had completely vanished. Feeling depleted, she sat in silence for a moment, reflecting on everything the mysterious rodent had said. Then she began thinking about the others and how much they had to fight during their journey... She couldn't just stand by and let everyone fight her battles for her; they'd already been through more than enough.

Besides, she was_ part_ of the Ruby Star. The two were as close as parent and child. That had to count for something. Maybe that and the power of Amethyst Star together could get the others back. Then it'd only be a matter of time before the Great Enemy would fall to the sheer force of all eight Crystal Stars.

...It seemed like a good plan, and it'd probably work if she could pull it off flawlessly. So her mind was made up; no longer would she wait around while other fought her battles for her. It was time to show her worth and redeem herself in the eyes of those who once fought against her. She'd prove to everyone, especially herself, that she what she lacked in strength, she made up with effort...

* * *

"Gone?! What do you mean she's gone?" demanded Koops.

"Vivian has left to not only rectify the wrong that's been done, but to challenge the Great Enemy all by herself," calmly explained the mouse.

"And you didn't try to stop her?!"

"Honestly, I persuaded her to go, as she refuses to talk to any of you until she redeems herself."

"And why not?" asked Flurrie.

"Well, let's say last night, she was treated to seeing the sight of Koops and Koopie Koo in a little game of... mouth-to-mouth."

Koops' face paled. "...S-she saw that?"

"I'm afraid so, and that's exactly why she ran off. Despite her trust in all of you being broken, I managed to regain a small amount of her reliance, but she now feels like she owes you all an apology for being so easily swayed into thinking you were all against her."

Goombella frowned. "Koops, you actually... _kissed _Koopie Koo?"

"Hey, you two-timer!" growled Waffles. "I thought you were with Vivian! Some friend_ you_ are! You're the reason she ran away in the first place!"

Bobbery raised an eyebrow. "I have to admit, that_ is_ a bit on the side of treachery, dear boy."

The Koopa hung his head. "B-but it wasn't my fault! It... it was an accident! It meant nothing to me, I swear!"

"Now, don't go jumping to conclusions," said the mouse. "It was all a big misunderstanding. Everyone involved was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Koops was roped into it by the same person who mislead Koopie Koo and tricked Vivian into thinking she was unwanted."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Goombella.

"To put it simply, it was sabotage. Whoever did this wanted to get Vivian as far away from us as possible, and most likely plans on killing her."

Koops stood up. "All right, that settles it."

Waffles scratched his head. "What settles what?"

His question went unanswered, as Koops ran upstairs and into his room. It wasn't long before he appeared again at the top of the stairs, to everyone's surprise, wearing Kevin's outfit. He was even toting his trusty sword.

Koopie Koo's eyes widened. "Koops? Don't tell me you're gonna..."

"I'm going after her. It's all my fault she's like this. If I'd only told you two the truth from the beginning, this wouldn't have happened." He gripped the sword tightly, dragging it downstairs. "I need to fix this. I mean... what would've Kevin done?"

"Koops, have you gone mad? I can't allow you to do something so crazy," said Koopley. "Listen to your old man. I don't want to you to make the same mistake I did..."

His son didn't face him. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I've got to start taking responsibility for what I do. It's not your fault Mom died... it's mine. And losing Vivian's my fault, too..."

"You're crazy!" spat Waffles. "You said it yourself last night; that Great Enemy guy ain't jokin' around!"

"Waffles' right," said Goombella. "There's no telling how strong he is. We need to come up with a plan before we do anything rash."

"This isn't rash..." Koops muttered, approaching the door and slowly opening it. Everyone stared at him in confusion. Ms. Mowz's eye glinted as she noticed a quick, almost demented glance from him. "_This_ is!"

Before anyone had a chance to stop him, he had already leapt out the door. Retreating into this shell, he spun over to the lone pipe in the middle of town and swiftly jumped into it.

"_No, Koops!_ Wait! Don't you dare--!" called Koopley, but he was already gone. "...Well, that's just perfect. And I thought_ I_ was the impulsive one..."

Goombella grimaced. "Oh, boy. This can't be good."

"Now, why'd he go and do that?!" asked Waffles. "It's not like him to be so headstrong! That's _my_ job!"

Ms. Mowz chuckled. "Oh, well I wouldn't put it past him. Like they always say, love makes you do the craziest things."

* * *

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ Lol, I guess everybody forgot about the nice Toad who helped Vivian out earlier, since you all kept thinking Aaron was related to Peach and/or Mario... Huh. Weird, but whatever. Feel free to keep guessing Teresa's if you want!_

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Here she was: Queen Lorelei, ruler of the Western Kingdom, being chased by a pair of mangy mutts. From the way things were going, she feared the chase would end with her their teeth snagged in her neck. After years of being pursued by the trio of greedy hunters on a regular basis, she felt her long life had finally come to an end. It was just as well; she'd begun to falter in her old age.

Covered in an old, wet cloak, she slid down the steep, frozen hill, pushing through the snow and ducking behind anything she could. The two remaining Chomps were far behind, but could catch up easily if she let them. This pushed her to keep going.

Down and down the slope she went, looking back only to hear the Chomps closing in. She couldn't see them over the mounds of snow that separated them, but their barking... It taunted her with its echoing. It was as if they were all over the mountain. She kept running.

She darted through trees, past confused Frost Piranhas, and across several vast plains of snow before coming to a stop. Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, she could go no further. She felt her spirit break as she realized that leading her off the mountain was all part of their plan. She wouldn't escape them this time.

A small blanket in her arm stirred and she quickly placed it on the ground, hurriedly throwing snow on top as a means of hiding it. The heap of snow trembled and shook until the blanket emerged. Confused, it looked at her in bewilderment.

"What's going on? Where're you going?"

"Away," she whispered, taking her cloak off, revealing her tall, limber structure.

"How come?"

"Shh..." She looked up, seeing the Chomps in the distance. "I want you to stay here and whatever you do, don't move."

She began to leave and it followed, whimpering, "But they might get me...!"

"No, no." She gently wrapped it back in the blanket and threw more snow on top. "Stay here. You'll be safe until I return."

"...But I'm scared."

"Don't be. I'll come back for you." She twinged, knowing that was a lie. This would be the last time they'd see one another.

"You promise?"

"...I promise." She threw her discarded cloak on a tree and managed a sad smile. "Do _you_ promise me to be good?"

Confident, it smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

"Promise me you'll stay strong and brave. And that you'll remember who you are and where you came from, for nothing will ever be as vital. And..." She blinked back tears. "No matter what happens to you, me, or this crazy world we live in... we'll always be together."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And I want you to know that I love you. I always have, and I always will. Never forget that."

It hugged her. "I love you, too... Mother."

The Chomps were only feet away, getting closer by the second. Giving her offspring one last kiss, she ventured across the wide, bare terrain, not once looking back.

The child watched her go off into the snow, worried and uncertain. Further and further she went, until she could barely be seen. She completely disappeared from view as she found refuge over a mound of snow. But just as it appeared she'd found sanctuary, there was an explosion in the distance.

...Then all was quiet.


	30. Finality

**_Authoress' Notes: _**_...Okay, I'm pretty sure 99.9 percent of you will hate me for the outcome of the chapter, but that's just the way I wanted things to happen. Keep any complaints to a minimum, as it is not easy cracking out a chapter with almost **14,000** words. I poured my heart and soul into making this, so be nice. ...And don't worry if this takes you several days to read. :) Only the epilogue is after this, but what's in it shall be shrouded in mystery until posted. _

_

* * *

_

**_Better Off Alone_**

**_Chapter 30: _**_Finality_

_

* * *

_Vivian stood, puzzled and frightened before the Thousand-Year Door. While it still retained the cracks from Mario using the force of the Crystal Stars to open it, she was quick to notice to ugly truth about its darkened exterior... Each one of the Stars was missing... She did a double take.

_...And snow? _

As impossible as it seemed, snow was actually overflowing from the palace's inside. The door looked like whoever last entered didn't close it. Even more shocking, the door itself and everything surrounding it was covered in a thick sheet of ice.

Vivian felt a chill run down her spine at the sheer power put into this... monstrosity. It was almost as if she were facing the Shadow Queen herself. She cautiously approached and, after a lot of effort, managed to push the stubborn door open enough to where she could squeeze in.

* * *

Once inside, a piercing cold breeze made her shiver; cold stung her face life knives. She was about to wonder how everything had become so chilly when her eyes quelled her curiosity.

From the icicle-filled ceiling to the snowy floor, everything in the palace now looked as if a blizzard had hit it. The outside should've given it away, but Vivian didn't think it was _this_ bad. The snow was almost up to her waist, making her cringe as she slowly pushed through. She made faces, twitched, and occasionally yelped at the combination of freezing wet snow against certain vulnerable spots. The dry, cold wind made her eyes tear and she could feel the fire inside her suddenly weaken. Ms. Mowz was right; this _wasn't_ the Palace of Shadow, not anymore...

As she carefully navigated pushed open the first door and descended the first staircase, Vivian noticed it was littered with various Swoopulas frozen in blocks of ice. Each one had a look of horror and pain contorted on its face. ...At least they weren't trying to attack her.

She continued on down the stairs when something white gently floated down. Although it was fleet, she could've sworn it was a snowflake... Before she had a chance to coax herself out of it, another fell... Then another, and another. She looked up at the pitch-black ceiling, confused. More snowflakes slowly began falling, soon making the scenery identical to Fahr Outpost. There was no telling how much worse this would get in a short amount of time, so she went on. Her breath formed in huffs and puffs as she quickened her pace, getting the sinking feeling that whatever she was looking for had become too big of a problem for her to handle alone...

* * *

Koops ran as fast as he could through the knee-deep snow, which seemed to be steadily getting deeper the further he went. He jumped over hurdles, climbed over things like mad, and avoided every single trap with ease, all while blindly following Vivian deeper into the palace. He was doing things he never thought he could do, making him wonder how he suddenly became so... dynamic. It all seemed to come natural to him... The swift running, the stronger senses, the power...

It must've been what Ms. Mowz said...

**_"Koops, the Stalwart Koopa was your ancestor... Your father has great strength just like him, as does every male from his side of the family. You've also inherited this power." _**

...That had to be reason for this new feeling he felt burning inside him. The frigid climate did little to slow the determined Koopa down. If anything, it only pushed him even harder. He really had stop doubting the little mouse...

He uttered a soft grunt as he suddenly found himself crouching down and jumping over a small chasm. Much to his surprise, he made a flawless landing on the other side. He took a quick glance down at the dimly-lit spikes protruding from the ground below, remembering how horrified he was the last time he saw them. He'd made a lot of progress, all right. That alone told him he could make it all the way...

* * *

As she entered the last chamber before the throne room, Vivian suddenly lost her balance and collapsed onto a nearby pillar. Using it to support herself, she tended to a sudden headache and groaned. She could feel all the symptoms hit at once; her head was beginning to hurt, she'd started to feel dizzy and weak, and rough waves of nausea made her want to vomit. ...It must've been the Amethyst Star's doing. She looked up at the door leading to the Shadow Queen's former quarters, thinking long and hard.

Once she went through those doors, there was no turning back. Whatever was waiting for her was big, powerful, and most likely lethal. If she stepped through those doors, something told her she'd never come out...

But she'd come too far to just give up now. She approached and nervously placed her hands on the cold door, sighing. She looked back one last time at the previous doors and frowned. A small part of her conscious sort of hoped her friends would come busting through at any minute, ready to help her cause... Too bad that was only wishful thinking.

Pushing the doors open, Vivian prepared herself for the worst of the worst. Nervously looking around, everything seemed normal from where she was standing... other than the snow. Ascending the first step on the small staircase before her, a voice rang out near the other end of the room that made her stop dead in her tracks, filled with fear.

"...Well, well, well. If it isn't the little traitor."

Vivian scowled, knowing that tone from anywhere. "...What're _you_ doing down here?"

Just as she'd guessed, Beldam idly sat in what was once her mother's throne. But something about her seemed... different. She was usually angry and edgy at the very sight of her youngest sibling, but was instead calm and collected, almost to the point where it was scary.

She shook her head. "Tsk tsk. You poor, deluded little fool. You still don't see what's going on, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"This was all my doing." She raised her hands, causing each of the Crystal Stars to appear from nowhere. "For years, I've been seeking the power of the Stars so that I may actually put them to some use, unlike Mother..."

Intimidated, Vivian recoiled at the sight. "But how? You can't control the Crystal Stars; only Mother had the power to do that!"

"Ah, but she also failed to see the true power of my spells." The Sapphire Star hovered beside her. "It may not be the strongest, but my Star is the third most powerful of the seven. That alone was enough to gain control of the weaker ones. Then all I had to do was force the stronger ones to obey them, therefore, making them obey me. Having five against two obviously tipped the power struggle in my favor."

The younger glared. "And now you're going to pick up where Mother left off?"

"Exactly." Her evil grin grew wider. "I'm going to do what she never could and take over this world in style._ I'll_ be the new Shadow Queen, and now that Mario's gone, there'll be no one to stand in my way this time!"

"Beldam, I know you think you've got everything under control... but you're nowhere as strong as Mother was. You may have stronger spells, but there's a reason she never used them; they always backfire at one point..."

"Like you're one to talk. How dare you desert your own family for that worthless band of failures you call your friends? Some heir to the throne you are. You're lucky Mother's gone, or else she would've done away with you a long time ago."

Vivian lowered her head. "If being Shadow Queen means I have to hurt nice people and take innocent lives, I'd rather be an outcast. At least I'm not a heartless, overbearing sneak like you..."

Beldam frowned. "Name-calling is so childish, but I wouldn't expect any better from you. You could never make it as anything in this world, so keep hold of what little dignity you have left and just give up now. We both know you're not leaving this place alive. ...I'll make sure of that."

Vivian swallowed._ So it was Beldam who was the Great Enemy? ...That was no surprise. She'd been a constant threat all her life, and she now planned to kill her and go on to rule the world... That was just the kind of thing expected of her. She should've known better; something like this was bound to happen._

"But before I do away with you..." came Beldam's voice, snapping her from her thoughts, "you have something I want."

Nervously, she backed up. "...W-what's that?"

Beldam stood, the seven Stars following her. "Don't play dumb with me. You've got the missing piece, the final part of the puzzle, the one last thing I need to achieve ultimate power over this pathetic world... The Amethyst Crystal Star."

Gasping, she backed away further from the staircase as Beldam advanced, the power of all the Crystal Stars at her disposal. Closer and closer she came until she was standing on the top of the stairs, as Vivian continued backing up until she could almost feel the frozen door sting her back.

"What a shame your friends aren't here with you now. I wonder what could've driven them off..." With a malicious smirk, she pulled out an old cloak, one that looked very familiar. "Could it be they finally wised up and realized you didn't belong? ...No, that bunch of bumbling idiots would never think of that..."

At the sight of the cloak, Vivian began to piece it all together. "It... it was you... You did this! You're the one who drove me away from all my friends!"

"You say that as if were a bad thing..."

Seething, Vivian clenched her fists. "Y-you're... you're a horrible person! Only a slimy, spineless coward would do all of this! I... _I can't believe I'm related to someone as disgusting as you!" _

"Well, you won't have to worry about that much longer!" retorted the older, summoning the Sapphire Star. "Personally, you've been a pain in my side since you were born, and I've always wanted to do away you. But because of the Amethyst Star, I had to hold off killing you until I gained control of the other Crystal Stars."

She lifted a hand, ready to do the unthinkable when the doors slammed open. Both Shadow Sirens looked up at the sudden disturbance as they heard a powerful voice shout...

"Leave her alone!"

"...The Stalwart Koopa?" Beldam frowned, the voice stirring up bad memories of her inability to defeat him. "But it can't be... You're dead!"

Vivian eyed the unknown Koopa warily. He was wearing the Stalwart Koopa's attire, had has sword, and made a very dynamic entrance... It being him was impossible, but there was no one else who could've looked so much like such an amazing hero.

_Could it've been his... ghost_?

She was ready to believe her own ridiculous claims when he stepped forward, and it was as if a mirage had been lifted from her eyes.

...Her face soured as the valiant image of the Stalwart Koopa shattered in a heartbeat. She couldn't help but notice his lazy eye, lack of scars, and the ever-present bandage on his nose. No, that wasn't the Stalwart Koopa at all. If anything, it was only his shadow...

Seeing Vivian, Koops sighed, thankful that he'd found her in the nick of time. But his relief soon turned into worry, as he noticed her bitter expression. Completely disregarding Beldam, he humbly approached.

"Vivian... I've been looking all over for you..."

"Don't bother..." In a huff, she turned her head, walking away from him.

He crept closer, trying to appease her. "Listen, I know you're mad, but... I'm sorry. It meant nothing to me, I swear."

"How am I supposed to know that?"

"Because I love you. Do you think I'd come all the way down here, trudging through snow in the freezing cold for nothing? I was worried something might've happened. Please... give me another chance..."

"..." She shot him an angry glare that made him cringe, then returned to hating the wall.

Koops hung his head, feeling the hostility emanate from her cold shoulder. "...It was a moment of weakness... And for that, I'm sorry. I may not be the best guy ever, but I'll do my best to make up for it. And... even if you don't forgive me, I won't hold it against you... I just want you to be happy..."

"..." She crossed her arms, still averting his gaze.

He continued, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "...I-it was my fault for not telling you in the first place. If only I hadn't been such a coward about it, none of this would've ever happened... No matter hard I try, I always seem to mess everything up... Just like with Mom..."

Despite his heartfelt apology, Vivian still kept her back turned.

He grimaced. Koops promised himself he wasn't going to cry, but he was too overwhelmed by his own words. And it was all true, every single bit of it; he _had_ been a coward, he _had _messed up, and it really _was_ all his fault. Vivian didn't deserve a loser like him, and he didn't deserve a prize like her...

A small tear managed to escape his tightly-squeezed eyes, dotting the ground. Another was about to follow when he felt a soft tickle on his cheek. He looked up from the floor to see none other than Vivian gently caressing his face and drying his tears. She no longer looked angry, but she didn't look happy, either.

Embarrassed, he turned away. "...No, I get it. Everything was my fault, and I have to live with--"

He didn't get the chance to finish before she pulled him into a warm, passionate kiss. ...And he was wrong about Koopie Koo... in so many ways he couldn't even begin to imagine. Their kisses were _nothing_ alike. Vivian's lips were so sweet and inviting, just wanting to give pleasure to those who met them, whereas Koopie Koo's were just... there. He wasn't sure if it had anything to do with her being a Shadow Siren, but he didn't care; her charisma mesmerized him all the same. The only thing he hated about this kiss was that it ended too soon. Just as he'd been pulled into a state of euphoria by such a wonderful feeling of love, she stopped, looking at him endearingly.

"...I'm sorry for being so stubborn. I didn't think you really meant it." She rested her head against his chest. "How could I not forgive you after all that?"

"I'm glad... And I promise I'll make it up to you. Really, I will..." He pulled out Flurrie's necklace, placing it around her neck. "Starting now."

Beldam groaned. "Ugh, get a room."

Koops glared daggers at her. "And _you_! You're the one who caused all of this! I didn't think you could get any lower!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere," she scoffed. "I don't have time to deal with the likes of you, so get out of my way!"

As she pointed at them, the Gold Crystal Star floated forward shot out a streak of lightning, tearing them apart. Koops got the worst of it by being flung into the wall, knocking him unconscious.

"Koops!" Worried, Vivian tried to make her way over to him, but was stopped by the Gold Star. It hovered threateningly near her, almost as if it were poised to strike. It was soon joined by Garnet, which did the same.

"Now, to finally get what I've wanted for so long..." said Beldam, magic collecting on her fingers.

Backing away from her evil sibling, Vivian frantically looked for a way out, but as each of the Crystal Stars began to gather and force her into the wall, she soon found it impossible. Beldam loomed over the edge of the staircase and grinned at her horrified expression. She was going to die, right then and there. Not even a miracle could save her now...

"Don't look so worried," teased Beldam. "I'll try and make this as painful as I can!"

Vivian barely had time to flinch before she reappeared right in front of her and outstretched her hand as if to grab her very heart. She didn't know what it was; it was so sudden, so fast, yet so painful all at once. She only had enough time to let out a shrill scream at the pain of having her chest penetrated and her hidden treasure yanked out. ...Drained of her power, she collapsed, feeling empty and hollow.

Koops stirred and groaned at the sound of someone screaming. It was a horrible cry, full of pain and anguish... His head snapped up in time to see Vivian fall to the ground, Beldam holding something in her clutches. He didn't have time to see what it was, but that didn't matter. Grabbing his sword, he attacked her in a swift show of swordsmanship he never knew he had. Amid the blurs of blades, he managed to score a deep cut in her arm. He would've done much more than that if she hadn't disappeared into the shadows, cursing at her fresh wound.

Angry, he threw the bloodstained sword into the snow and ran to Vivian's side. He carefully picked her up, anxiously checking for any signs of life.

"Vivian, are you okay?" He gently shook her. "Can you hear me? Are you all right? Please! Answer me!"

But it was all for naught, as Vivian remained limp and lifeless in his arms. He wasn't even sure if she was still breathing... Koops felt his anger rise again.

"What'd you do to her?!" he demanded of Beldam, who'd reappeared back near the throne.

She sneered back. "Only take what rightfully belongs to me..."

"What are you...?" His rage suddenly subsided as shock took its place.

Up above Beldam's head hovered the infamous Amethyst Star. Something about seemed so... otherworldly. Try as he might, he just could take his eyes off such a splendid and deadly treasure. It looked like a regular Crystal Star in every way, but he could _feel _the power surging from it. It glowed more prominently than the other seven, making him shudder at the sudden radiance of purple that filled the room. The Star practically commanded respect, and he, despite being horrified, was also humbled by its brilliance. He was stuck in a mental turmoil of shame, fear, and awe all at once.

At that moment, Vivian chose to awake. "...Ow..."

"Vivian?" Koops' face brightened as she came to.

Her eyes lazily gazed upon the pulsating purple Star. "So, that's it... The Amethyst Star...?"

"Yeah... Yeah, it is..." he answered, still overwhelmed.

Fearing for his safety, she tried to get up and protect Koops from the imminent danger, but the energy needed wasn't there and she fell. Again, she attempted to try and at least support him, but it only resulted in another failure. Dispirited and powerless, she could glare at Beldam in disgust. There was no escaping this time.

Finished with its display of power, the Amethyst Star obediently floated in Beldam's reach. In response to their long-lost member, the other seven Stars circled around it in the utmost respect.

"At last, I have it!" she laughed, almost maniacally. "I've been dreaming of this moment for years! Now I can finally get rid of you once and for all! It's all downhill from here, Vivian, starting with _your demise!"_

Koops jumped up and stood in the way. "You're even more twisted than I thought! If anyone here has to die today, it should be you for being such a **_demented, old hag!"_**

Not at all threatened, Beldam simply pointed at him, causing the Amethyst Star to use its otherworldly powers and hurl him back into the wall, succeeding in cracking it. He cried out in agony and crumpled to the floor, cringing. The same attack with the Gold Star earlier was a tap on the shell compared to this one. He was almost certain he'd broken something.

Vivian was still unable to do anything, incapacitated herself. She could only continue glaring at Beldam with as much hate as she could muster, which, given her circumstances, was enough to make nearly anyone cower. This wasn't the case with the older siren, whose focus was on the suffering Koops.

"I never had the privilege of killing the Stalwart Koopa, but I guess you'll have to do," she said, sounding sickeningly indifferent. The Amethyst Star was gearing up for another attack when...

"Hold it right there!"

"What?" Beldam looked up, her control over the Star momentarily broken.

Koops groggily looked up to see a white blur rush by him, hopping up the stairs in two jumps and ramming into Beldam. It backflipped away from her and landed near the edge of the stairs. Finally able to get a good look, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Waffles?!"

The Yoshi smirked and struck a silly pose. "Who else were you expecting? Gonzales?"

"What're you doing here?"

"He's here because we're here, and we're here because friends always stick together!"

That voice was unmistakable. Koops didn't even have to turn to know it was Goombella's. Regardless, out of sheer excitement, he whipped around to see not only the spunky Goomba, but Bobbery, Flurrie, and even Ms. Mowz.

"You guys came all the way down here... to help me?"

"Of course," said Ms. Mowz. "You don't think we'd let you risk life and limb without doing something about it, do you?"

"She's right," added Bobbery. "Let's give her the old one-two and make it something she'll never forget!"

"Mario may not be here, but we shall carry on nevertheless!" proclaimed Flurrie.

"Yeah!" laughed Waffles, pointing at Beldam. "You might as well just give up now! We already beat you like a million times! What makes you think you'll do any better this time?"

Furious, Beldam got up and quickly grabbed the Amethyst Star. "That may've been true before, but now that I have _this_, you'll wish you'd never interfered!"

She didn't hesitate to call upon its power, as its force knocked every one of her enemies back several feet. The other Crystal Stars soon joined in, ready to support her any way they could. After a few more threats and snide remarks, it wasn't long before an all-out brawl broke out.

As the battle raged on above the stairs, Koops placed Vivian on the floor and gently shook her. "Vivian, please wake up... Come on... You're okay, I know you are..."

In the midst of his pleading, he heard her groan and cough. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as she began to feel the painful aftermath of Star's removal. It was an awful, searing pain that rivaled no other, and she could tell it would only get worse. She just wanted grab onto something as hard as she could and scream as loud as she could until it went away...!

"I know it hurts, but I'm here," he soothed. "I'm here..."

Her writhing went on a little longer before she stopped, going limp again. After a brief pause, she raised her head, shuddering. Seeing Koops, her pained expression seemed to relax.

"Think you can stand?"

"...I don't know..." Her voice was faint and weary. She managed to weakly sit up, hugging her stomach and doubling over in pain. "...It's like she took away a part of me..."

"It's okay," Koops whispered, pulling her close. "Don't worry. I'm right here."

Vivian took his offer and let herself fall into his strong arms. She sat dormant against him, wanting to get up, but unable to do so. She never knew how much she really depended on that Star, despite not even believing it existed. Now that it was gone, she could barely keep her eyes open... All she wanted to do was sleep... And sleep... _And sleep..._

Koops could tell she was taking the separation harder than he thought. Beforehand, she was her old, usual self. But now, she seemed to lose her glow, and he no longer felt that comforting, fervent warmth inside her... Just cold, barren emptiness...

**_"AAAAAAGGH!"_** howled Waffles, as he thrown against the door, painfully falling to the ground.

"Waffles!" he called. "You okay?"

"Uh... Can I get back to you on that...?" he groggily responded.

"You guys need any help? I--"

"No, no. We got it," he stood, shaking it off. "You just look after Rip Van Winkle over here while we take care of business."

Koops helplessly watched the Yoshi make his way back to the fray, albeit with a slight limp. There had to be something he could do... Just then, an idea popped into his head.

"...The Crystal Stars..."

"Huh?"

"...Could they...?"

"What about them?"

"..."

Waffles frowned. "Dude, you're starting to freak me out..."

_That was it! It was all coming back to him now! What Ms. Mowz said earlier...! _

**_"According the scroll, 'Only when the time comes may the Holders raise their heads up high with the power of the Crystal Stars'..." _**

Koops snapped out of his trance. "Waffles, listen to me! You have to get the Crystal Stars from Beldam!"

"What?! What good'll that do us?"

"Remember what I told you guys last night? About how we're each connected to a Crystal Star? If you can get your hands on them, maybe you can take her power source away!"

"That's crazy!" Waffles fingered his nose in thought. "...Just crazy enough to work..."

"Then go tell the others! And hurry!" He worriedly looked at a comatose Vivian. "...I'll catch up later."

Waffles shrugged. "I still think it's crazy... but I guess we all gotta push the envelope sometimes!"

Scrambling over to the staircase, he sped past a bewildered Goombella, who was in the midst of fighting off the Emerald Star.

"Waffles! What the heck are you doing?!" she spat, just in time to get zapped by the green-colored Star.

His little boots a blur of pink, he zipped by a puzzled Flurrie and Bobbery, aiming for the Gold Star near the throne. _Koops, you better be right about this... _he nervously thought.

Beldam laughed. "He's sees he can't win, so he's throwing in the towel! A smart choice! Maybe you pea-brains aren't as dumb as I thought..."

"Not hardly!" retorted Waffles, as he made a running jump over her. While in the air, he managed to grab onto the Gold Star. Landing, he let it go, allowing it hover mindlessly beside him.

"Lad, have you lost it?!" shouted Bobbery.

"Oh, Waffles, you scoundrel! Get away from there before you get hurt!" added Flurrie.

Ms. Mowz's eye twinkled as she nodded in approval. _So Koops remembered after all... _

"You've got some nerve trying to take away my Crystal Stars," mocked Beldam. "And here I thought you had more sense..."

With a flick of her wrist, she haughtily motioned for the Crystal Star to come back. Unfortunately, it refused to obey and stayed with Waffles.

_"What?!"_ She angrily summoned it again. "Come here! I'm your master! You're supposed to obey only _me_!"

"Not anymore!" proclaimed Waffles. "This baby's on my side now, lady!"

"Hey, I think he's on to something!" said Goombella. "Didn't Koops say something earlier about us and the Crystal Stars being bonded?"

"Why, Goombella, that idea is just splendid," said Ms. Mowz. "Why don't we try it?"

"That_ must_ be her weakness! Quick, get them!" shouted Bobbery.

"Weaklings! You're not even worth my time!" Beldam glowered, calling for the Garnet Star. "I was going to finish you off quick, but you've gone and changed my mind. Now I think I prefer a nice slow, painful--"

She stopped mid-sentence at the absence of the Star and gawked at its empty space, realizing it was missing. She whipped around in time to see Ms. Mowz take off with it.

"You really shouldn't take what's not yours, you know. The results can be catastrophic."

"Well then, allow me to take back what_ is_ mine!" cackled Beldam, ordering the Crystal Star to attack. Unfortunately, Goombella made contact with a surprise Headbonk at that moment, breaking her concentration and causing it to fly off.

"I'll take this, if you don't mind!" she laughed, getting ahold of the unattended Crystal Star and taking refuge on the other side of the room.

Seeing Goombella near the stairs with the strongest Crystal Star floating above, Koops smiled, glad to see his plan had worked. He looked back at Vivian who was unconscious and sighed. She probably wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, but the others needed all the help they could get.

"I'll be back soon..." he assured. Gently placing her down and grabbing his sword, he ran to join up with his friends. He barely dodged a beam of ice from Beldam upon his arrival.

"So, you've finally left her for dead, huh?" She grinned evilly, ready to fade into nothingness. "Allow me to finish her off!"

**_"Don't you dare lay a hand on her!"_**

Sword raised, Koops attacked, stopping her descent into the shadows. He swiped and slashed and swung it about, driven by anger and hate. Each attempt somehow missed, but that only made him madder. Seeing Beldam was distracted, Flurrie and Bobbery took the liberty of grabbing both of their respective Stars.

_"You're... you're just an ugly... evil... corrupted... witch!"_ Koops growled, repeatedly swinging the sword, only for Beldam to repeatedly dodge him. _"You don't... even deserve... to live...!"_

She scowled. "The title of Shadow Queen has belonged to me long before any of you were even born! Mother may've failed to see that, but now that she's out of the way, it belongs to ME!"

In a burst of power, the Amethyst Star hovering around Beldam shocked Koops, making him lose his footing and drop the sword. Buckling over in pain, he found himself at the mercy of its power. Beldam eerily backed away, snickering.

"Your efforts are futile and your skills are deplorable! Being his descendant, you don't do the Stalwart Koopa justice! I bet he's turning in his grave as we speak! And I thought _Vivian _was pathetic!"

**_"SHUT UP!"_** His strength suddenly returned and all pain gone, Koops grabbed his sword again and executed several perfect swipes, cutting Beldam's hat to shreds. She managed to get in a quick freezing spell before disappearing, but he sliced it into shards of ice mid-air. Panting, he snorted, his adrenaline pumping and confidence at its highest in years. It was so strong, in fact, the Diamond Star actually found its way to _him_.

**_"I am the Stalwart Koopa's descendant and I'm gonna to pick up where he left off!" _**he shouted. "**_And I won't stop until I've wiped that stupid grin off your ugly face! I swear, this'll be the LAST time you ever hurt Vivian! Do you hear me?!"_**

"Ha!" Waffles laughed, bouncing up and down. "Now, _that's_ what I'm talkin' about! Show that witch who's boss, just like Gonzales did!"

Everyone else blinked, stunned from seeing such ferocity from shy, little Koopa they _thought _they once knew. Ms. Mowz's tail twitched, seeing the very force of the Stalwart Koopa rekindled right before her eyes. It was almost as if Koops wasn't even in control of himself anymore, like he'd somehow been possessed by Kevin's spirit...

_But he had yet to pass the final test..._ She narrowed her eyes, knowing there was more to come. All this time, they'd been fighting the wrong adversary. The Great Enemy was about to make her grand appearance...

Reappearing a few feet away, a hatless, messy-haired Beldam glared at her opponents.

_They'd done it again! She didn't know how, but they'd manage to strip her of her pride, power, and prowess before she barely had a chance to conquer anything! Those meddling idiots had only left her with one Crystal Star, and it was the one she despised the most... The Ruby Star. What a piece of junk! She'd accomplish nothing with Vivian's retched Star! _

_In only a few short minutes, they'd ruined her plans of world domination! All those years of plotting and planning... Wasted! She... she couldn't go out like this... There _had_ to be a way to defeat them! A way to become all-powerful, just like the Shadow Queen was before..._

...She noticed the Amethyst Star still lingering beside her and formed an idea.

_Of course! That was it! Using the Star increased her power, but it didn't make her invincible... The only way for that work was through the power of absorbing it... Mother was too much of a coward to ever try it, but doing so would allow her to achieve ultimate power, the likes of which no one has ever seen! And the risk was no longer of her concern... _

"Ha! That_ that_, why don'tcha?!" jeered Waffles. "Now what are ya gonna do, since the table's been turned?!"

"Yeah! We're gonna stop you right here and now! We've got almost all the Crystal Stars!" Goombella added.

"And since we're their rightful Holders, they'll all listen to us!" added Bobbery.

"Yes, there'll be no escaping this time! This'll be you last stand!" finished Flurrie.

Ms. Mowz and Koops remained silent, the latter's expression more intimidating than anything he could've said at that point.

_"So what?!"_ spat Beldam. She brushed off the Ruby Star, allowing it to float away mindlessly. "I don't need this worthless trash! You may've gotten your grubby, little hands on those other rejects, but you failed to grab the last one! The _best_ one! The **_ultimate _**one!"

Goombella braced herself as she grabbed the Amethyst Star and held it up triumphantly. "Okay, guys! This is it! That thing's her last line of defense, so if we take it down, she's finished!"

"If that's what you think, then I'm afraid you're dead wrong..."

"...Huh?"

"Aw, forget her! She's only bluffing! _We've _got the power now, so let's stop yakking and use it!" urged Waffles, raring to go.

Everyone agreed he had a point and prepared themselves and their Stars for the finishing blow. But before anyone had a chance to attack, the Amethyst Star began to glow a deep, deadly purple. Dark, ominous smoke billowed from it, soon filling the entire room in its cloudy darkness.

Bobbery coughed. "W-what's all this then?!"

"Be careful!" warned Goombella. "It might be poisonous!"

"Yeah, right! Like a bunch of stupid smoke is gonna stop us from kicking your butt!" gloated the Yoshi. "Let's go!"

"Perhaps we should hold off on that until we can actually see what's going on..." Flurrie began to tremble. "And is it me, or did it get a lot colder in here?"

"..." Ms. Mowz stood motionless in the darkness, eyeing Koops' silhouette through the smoke.

Waffles rolled his eyes. "Man, forget this! No one else is doing anything, so I guess I've gotta lead you guys into battle, just like Gonzales used to!" He charged blindly into the smoke, the Gold Star following. "Come on! We'll take it to her!"

"No, Waffles!" called Goombella. "You idiot! You can't even see where you're going!"

But it was too late; Waffles plowed through the obscurity until he bumped into something. Something big...

"What the...?"

A sharp hissing then sounded, followed by the sound of Waffles' cries of pain.

"Waffles! Waffles! Waffles, can you hear me?!" Goombella called. When no one answered, she got an idea. "Flurrie, this smoke is way too thick too see through! Do you think you could blow it away, or something?!"

"...I suppose I could give it a try!" came her muffled response.

A stream of her Gale Force cut through the smoke, causing it to disperse so everyone could see. Koops was the first one to notice something was wrong... _Very_ wrong.

Beldam was no longer there... or at least that's what he thought. Koops' eyes widened, as he was hit by a wrenching feeling of déjà vu...

_...He remembered a dream... An awful, horrible dream he had months ago. In a demonic cobra was trying to devour him whole... He once thought it was an exaggerated paranoia of Vivian's mysterious species, but it was... _

_It was **her**... The similarities were unmistakable; it had been an omen all along... And the excerpt from the scroll Ms. Mowz showed him... _

**_"...Like the poison of a venomous cobra, it shall spread and destroy the weak and helpless."_**

_He knew there had to be a reason why it caught his eye! It was talking about this! Beldam herself wasn't the Great Enemy; she would _become _it! He should've known! Why didn't he see it sooner?! _

Before him was a lethal black cobra with piercing sapphire eyes, the narrow, black slits of her pupils boring into his very soul. Her lavender underbelly heaved with each huge intake of breath, and dark purple diamonds littered her back in a disgustingly precise pattern. Her her hood of blue flared, along with snout, creating another sharp hissing like before; a black forked tongue licking hungrily out of her maw. Every single detail from the snake in his dream was now staring Koops in the face.

"...Ow..." groaned Waffles, lying before her in defeat. "You cheater..."

"Koops..."

He turned to see Vivian groggily approach with her Star. "What... What happened?" Seeing the black-and-blue cobra hovering overhead, she blanched. "Y-you didn't...!"

_"I did..."_ answered a conceited Beldam. _"I've done the unbelievable and the Amethysssst Star and I are now one! And I sssswear it'll be your downfall! There will only be one true Shadow Queen, and it **will** be me!"_

"But the Amethyst Star isn't supposed to be used this way! If you stay like that, you'll end up destroying yourself!" said Vivian, unsure of why she was bothering to try and reason with her; doing something so outrageous proved she'd gone off the deep end.

But Beldam obviously didn't care, as she snapped at Koops, barely missing, but knocking down Vivian in the process. She opened her jaws and fired a devastating surge of ice at her, missing only because she'd disappeared into the shadows.

Enraged, Waffles sprung from the foot-deep snow. "All right, that's it! You've done it now! You've gone and made me mad!" He held up the glowing Gold Star. "Go and show that nobody what happens when you mess with The Great Gonzales Jr.!"

The Gold Star fired at Beldam with a streak of its golden power, but the beam bounced off, making her snicker.

"It didn't work!"

"Let me try! Mine's the strongest!" said Goombella. Her Star attacked with a more powerful light-bluish beam, but it also proved ineffective.

"It _still _didn't do anything?!"

"Let's us combine and try a more frontal assault," suggested Bobbery. "It's what we're supposed to be doing, right?!"

They all agreed and attacked with their respective Crystal Stars, but try as they might, nothing happened. Each attempt only resulted in it being countered by the power of the Amethyst Star.

Vivian reappeared behind a segment of Beldam's tail and flinched, seeing Ms. Mowz appear out of nowhere. In the midst of the confusion, the others didn't even notice she and her Star had suddenly up and disappeared.

"What you said a moment ago..." She narrowed her eyes. "Care to elaborate on that?"

Eyeing her friends unsuccessfully fight Beldam, she sighed. "...Well... The Amethyst Star can grant unlimited power, but it was made to be controlled mentally, not physically. There's a reason Mother never used it on herself, and this is why..."

"Exactly, but there's another reason why..."

"Huh?"

"The Amethyst Star is so powerful, it tends to spiritually affect those who've come in contact with it. Too close of said contact can permanently merge itself with a soul forever. Beldam may have it now, but you've been in its possession for over a thousand years. It is a part of you and you are a part of it."

"...I'm a part of _it_?"

That was new to her. Since it'd been removed, she didn't think they were still connected. But she'd said it herself; it was made to be affiliated with the mind, not the body. And apparently, the two had merged to the point where one couldn't be itself with the other. ...Ms. Mowz may've been in-the-know, but no amount of research or speculation could've led her to that... It was impossible; she would've had to be around over a thousand years ago to even _begin_ to assume it. She stared at her long and hard, confused.

"Ms. Mowz, you seem like you know a lot of things..."

"...I suppose I do."

"Then answer me this... How can we defeat Beldam?" At this question, Ms. Mowz looked surprised. "Ever since I can remember, you've always been there to help me make the right choices, but you're always so seclusive... I just thought you were well-informed at first, but what you just told me says otherwise. If you _do_ know something, please... tell me."

The rodent's face saddened. "...I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

"...Why?"

"It'll be clear soon..."

"But _how _soon?"

She looked over her head and narrowed her eyes at the danger lurking behind her. "Soon enough..."

_"There you are!" _

Vivian only saw a blur of black before she felt herself caught in a bind. With flick of her massive tail, Beldam wrapped her in a tight hold.

"Koops!" she squealed. "D-don't...! Don't let her... take me...!"

Koops grabbed onto to her hand at the last second, trying to pull her away, with Goombella latching onto his shirt in a desperate attempt to help.

_"You're getting annoying!"_ she growled. With a snarl, she yanked Vivian away and into the air, coiling her tail around her more. _"Did you really think I'd let you'd get away sssso eassssily?!"_ she hissed, her black forked tongue flickering in her face. Vivian grimaced from the sight of it tickling the air before her. It disgusted her to no end.

_"The only thing keeping me from becoming queen issss your little love intressst here." _She continued, turning her attention to Koops, enjoying him squirm._"Sssso, I'll make sure her death issss **painfully** sssslow..."_

"Let her go!" threatened Koops, clothing the sword. "Do it, or I'll **_make _**you!"

She laughed. _"You're in no possssession to threaten me! But maybe... if you give yoursssself up, I might reconssssider..."_

He frowned. "You mean... if I take her place?"

"No, Koops! Don't try to--" Vivian was cut off as Beldam squeezed the air out of her.

_"Yessss..." _She tilted her head, smirking devilishly._ "I supposssse that would make a fair trade... You'll all perish eventually, but if you just can't wait to die, you'll be the firsssst to go..."_

"No, dude! Don't do it!" exclaimed Waffles. "Can you at _least _give us a vote of confidence?!"

"Koops, I don't think that's the wisest thing to do..." said Flurrie.

"Yeah! Don't give in to that sleaze's demands!" added Goombella. "You're better than that!"

But Koops ignored them, despite his sixth sense telling him otherwise. He knew bargaining with the enemy was just asking for trouble, but Vivian's life hung in the balance. Watching her fade away in Beldam's grasp seemed to block out any bit of common sense he had left.

_"Sssso? What'ssss your decision?" _

He wasn't sure if he was desperate to be a hero or urged on by Vivian being in danger, but something made him throw his sword aside in frustration.

"...Fine! I'm defenseless now, so let her go!" he spat, much to the dismay of his friends.

_"Ah, perfect..."_

Instead of holding up her end of the bargain, Beldam hissed and stuck with lightning speed reflexes, scooping him up in her jaws. Her tail on Vivian refused to loosen, only getting tighter.

_"What?!"_ Koops growled, managing to grab the roof of her mouth, struggling to keep it from closing. "You... you _liar_! We had a deal!"

Beldam frowned. _"Queenssss don't make dealssss with peasantssss!"_

Koops grimaced, cursing himself for being such an idiot. He didn't know why or how he'd allowed himself to be tricked so easily... His mortified eyes met with Vivian's frantic ones for a split second. Somehow, she seemed to know and understand he was sorry, more concerned of his predicament than of his foolish deed.

The others began attacking Beldam again, but nothing was working. The way things were going, they were all pretty much done for. Koops tried his best to recreate the dream; almost everything in it was happening here, but it ended on a sour note, with no indication as to how or _if_ he got out of her mouth.

Meanwhile, Vivian twitched in her grasp, air getting harder to come by. Her lungs racked her with a horrible, aching desire to breathe, causing her to squirm, scratch, and bite her way out, but it was useless. The tighter her tail got, the more apparent it was that she was slowly squeezing the life out of her. She desperately gasped for air, the pressure keeping her poor, compressed lungs from getting the precious breath they urgently needed. Squirming some more, she managed to get her hands free, magic collecting on her fingers. She could only hoped it'd work...

His strength fleeting, Koops was ready to give up and accept defeat when Beldam suddenly let him go, roaring in pain. Flailing about, he plummeted to the frozen ground below, then quickly retracted into his shell. He waited for a shattering impact, but only felt... someone catch him and place him on the floor.

Confused, he eased out of his shell, he saw it was who've saved him.

"W-What just happened?" He asked, afraid to turn around. "...Why'd she let me go?"

She handed him his sword. "Apparently, Vivian managed to unleash one of her fiery spells and got both of you out of that bind. Well-played on her part..."

He looked up to see she was right; Beldam shook her head around in pain, a severe burn on the side of her face. Almost on cue, Vivian appeared from the shadows nearby, gasping for air.

"Sorry..." she wheezed. "...I... I kinda missed..."

"Well, that doesn't cut it!" said Waffles. "Why didn't you go for the eyes? You could've at least blinded her!"

For once, it was Koops who was about to retort, but Beldam recovered and slammed her tail between them, enraged.

_"Inssssolence! You actually think you sssstand a chance at defeating me?! **The great Sssshadow Queen?!"** _she hissed, diving into the floor.

Everyone scattered and made their way to the door, hoping she wouldn't be able to follow. Unfortunately, she smashed through it, the wall, and almost the ceiling as if they were nothing. She crashed through pillars and broke down even doors in her pursuit. They finally managed to escape into a large chamber, as she was stalled by her hood being lodged between a pair of stubborn pillars.

Panting, Waffles fell over. "Man! She's... She's way too powerful for us to fight now!"

"He's got a point," voiced an exhausted Bobbery. "Even _with_ the Crystal Stars, nothing's happening!"

Flurrie scratched her head. "Are we perhaps we're doing something wrong?"

"No, that's not it," voiced an emotionless Ms. Mowz. "By absorbing the Amethyst Star, she now _is_ the Amethyst Star. The only way to defeat her now is to defeat that."

"But how?" asked Goombella. "You said it yourself; all seven of the other Crystal Stars are nowhere near as powerful! And even though we're all together, we still can't seem to do anything! What gives?"

"Yes, taking the Crystal Stars is how you defeated _Beldam_. In case you haven't noticed, she's in a whole new form now, and requires a new strategy to defeat. Unfortunately, nothing was ever said about that in the scroll..."

Waffles frowned, grabbing his Star. "What a load of bunk! Can't we, like... absorb these things like she did and become super awesome ultimate invincible superheroes, or something?"

"We don't have the spells, expertise, or containment for that. The results would be disastrous."

"Aw, come on! That's what always happens in the movies!"

Vivian lowered her head. If what Ms. Mowz said earlier was true, there was only one true way to defeat Beldam. And it would require a grim sacrifice...

"But... but we can't give up now! We're so close to getting rid of her once and for all! We've just got to think of a way to beat this psycho--"

Goombella didn't have time to finish before Beldam crashed through the wall, her hissing filling the room. Seeing a woozy Vivian trying to flee, she shot out a beam of ice, just missing her.

_"You can't esssscape me!"_ she roared, firing more ice, only for it to be intercepted by a large chunk of stone falling from the ceiling.

"This... isn't... working...!" panted Goombella, running for cover.

Beldam whipped herself around and slammed her gigantic tail into the floor, causing a huge fissure that nearly tore the room apart. The chamber exploded into fury of chaos, with debris flying everywhere, walls caving in, and a catastrophic rumble that could've rivaled the one the Shadow Queen used to destroy Central Harbor a millennium ago. The rumbling seemed to go on forever, sending everyone in the room either into a cracked wall or the jagged, upturned floor.

The disastrous crash was followed by a deathly silence; the scene was similar to a battlefield racked with lifeless soldiers. Koops groggily stood up from rubble, dizzy from the assault. The Diamond Star hung around him hesitantly, mirroring his cautious actions.

He looked around the area for any movement, but was frightened when nothing emerged. The room was dark and dreary from the remains caused by her rampage. Pillars had been uprooted, huge holes were in the ceiling, and seemingly bottomless cracks filled the floor. Realizing Vivian was no longer with him, he began to scour the area.

"Vivian? Vivian, where are you?" he called, starting to panic. "Can you hear me?"

His calls were soon answered by the Shadow Siren appearing from the shadows nearby, her Ruby Star floating around her loyally. She clutched her head in pain, but was otherwise fine. He approached, securing his arm around her and hiding behind a broken pillar.

"...There you are. You had me worried there for a second," he sighed. When she didn't say anything, he frowned. "...What's wrong?"

"We can't win..." she muttered, a tear falling from her hidden eyes. "W-we just can't... not like this..."

"Just stay with me. I promise we'll beat her... somehow."

He looked up at the sounds of rubble moving and people groaning. Peeking over the pillar, he saw Goombella, Flurrie, Waffles, and Bobbery surface, their respective Stars hovering beside them. Not surprisingly, Ms. Mowz and her Star sat off to the side, perfectly unscathed.

He smiled. "There, see? Everyone's all right. All we have to do now is come up with a plan. And we'll do it together."

She looked up at him, her doubts melting away at his words. And he had such a warm and certain face, so full of confidence and love. She smiled sadly, wishing his way was true.

"Hey, I don't see Beldam anywhere. Do you?" Waffles asked Goombella, staring into a bottomless pit.

"Uh! Waffles, haven't you learned anything about expecting the unexpected? Get away from there before you fall in!" she scolded.

"Aw, don't worry about me. I can--"

He was cut off as the floor began to rumble, a huge tremor ravaging the room. No sooner had it started, Beldam blasted out of the hole Waffles was looking down, throwing him back into the others, who collapsed in a heap behind a pillar.

Everyone glared at him and he shrugged. "Uh, like I was saying... Maybe we should stay low for now?"

On the other side of the room, Koops ducked behind a pillar. Beldam hissed, her forked tongue whipping about in an effort to track down her prey. It wasn't long before she caught wind of Vivian's disgustingly sweet smell and jerked her hood around to the source.

_"Pathetic!"_ she mocked, slamming her tail down in their direction.

Koops pushed Vivian down and out of the way, Beldam's tail shattering their refuge. She raised it and was ready to try again when an egg splattered across her snout.

"Nyeh!" Waffles stuck his tongue out. "Looks like you've got egg on your face! Ha ha!"

_"You!" _Fuming, she turned and gave chase.

Seeing this as a distraction, Koops grabbed Vivian again and dove behind the new rubble caused by her attack. He made sure to keep the Shadow Siren by his side, quietly shushing her.

"We've got to get back to the others, and fast... Maybe then we can figure out a way to stop her."

Vivian squirmed uncomfortably in his arm and sighed. The truth churned within her, wanting to be let loose before it was too late... but it would break poor Koops' little heart. She couldn't bear to see him sad after all he went through to try and save her... _But it was for the best..._

Irritated, she roughly pushed herself away, getting a confused look from hm. "I-I... I know how to stop her..."

"Really?" Koops smiled, despite being a little skeptical. "How? What do we have to do?"

Sighing, she approached and squeezed his hands tight. "Koops... you have to kill me."

"...W-what?!" He shook his head, thinking what he heard was a result of the battle going to his head. "What'd you... just say?"

She took a deep breath, letting out a shaky exhale. "...I may not have the Amethyst Star's power anymore, but... it's still a part of me, and I'm a part of it. If I die... it will, too."

"Vivian, I'm not doing that... I can't..."

"Please... You have to... It's the only way."

"No... There has to be another way. There's _got_ to be... We've gone through too much already! We can't give up now!"

He tried to hug her, but she remained distant, not wanting to be embraced. Her expression struck fear into his heart. It was strangely calm, accompanied with a sad smile. Her eyes were dull and unfocused, making him wonder if she even knew what she was talking about anymore. She suddenly found it difficult to look at him face-to-face, feeling her throat tighten at the disappointment in his hopeful, green eyes.

"I know we've been through a lot lately, and we haven't known each other for too long, but... I have to do this." A tear trickled down her face.

"It's just doubt, that all." He smiled, rubbing it away. "I'll make sure we get through this, okay?"

"No... Beldam's tapped into the Amethyst Star, and she can do anything she wants to now. Even with the other Crystal Stars, we can't put a dent in her defenses. And it's useless to fight her hand-to-hand..."

Koops shook his head. "But if Mario could use the Crystal Stars to defeat the Shadow Queen, we can use them to beat Beldam! If they worked one way for him, they'll work another way for us!"

She sniffled, causing more tears to flow. "Why do you choose now of all times to stop listening to me? Just take this..." She grabbed Koops' sword, putting the blade's tip on her stomach. "...and stab it here, as hard as you can..."

"N-no, I-I can't... I can't do it..." He dropped the sword and grabbed her as tight as he could. "I-I can't lose you again... I just can't!"

The sword's loud clang against some debris caught Beldam's attention. Waffles threw another egg, but it did nothing to deter her. _"Thought you could try and trick me?! The Sssshadow Queen?! You won't esssscape me thissss time!"_

"There's no way around it..." Vivian lowered her head. "Either you kill me now, or Beldam will take control of this land and soon, the world. ...I couldn't live with myself if that happened and I did nothing to stop it."

"B-but..! The legend! ...It said...!"

"...Please, Koops... This madness has got to stop, and the Crystal Stars need to be sealed back into the Thousand-Year Door so nothing like this will ever happen again." She caressed her Ruby Star, then let it go. "I know it's hard... but do it for me..."

At this point, Koops could feel the tears burning in his eyes. "I... c-can't..."

"Yes, you can..." She handed him the sword and smiled. "Think of the Four Heroes. They gave their lives just so the Crystal Stars would be safe. You can't let their efforts be in vain..."

Beldam was fast approaching, her hissing getting louder, along with the cries of the others to get out of the way. Somehow, Koops seemed to block of all this out of his mind, totally focused on Vivian. She stood there before him, a look of forlorn hope darkening her face. He wasn't sure if he could take losing her again... Life just wasn't worth living without her charm... her essence... her grace... He squeezed his eyes tight in frustration, torn between what he wanted and what was right.

He grimaced as he felt Vivian's warm arms wrap around him, squeezing hard. She knew he would do the right thing, even if it meant killing the one nearest to his heart. He balled up his fists.

"I love you..." she whispered, closing her eyes and nuzzling his cheek.

Koops nodded, a pair of tears falling. "...I love you, too..."

...Slowly raising his sword, he let one more tear drop as he blindly stabbed it forward as fast as he could. Part of him hoped he'd missed, but he was sorely mistaken as Vivian threw back her head with a wail, her fingers clawing his shell. He nearly had to bite through his own tongue as he felt it pierce through her body, practically slicing her in half. She jerked sharply in pain, making pained gasps and groans as she began to fully realize the severity of her wound. He could feel her warm, innocent blood trickle down his wrist, guilt stinging his hand like acid. The hardest part over, she gritted her teeth and whimpered, breathing erratically from the blow.

Time seemed to stop as the reality of his deed began to sink in. Koops could only stare off into nothingness, pained by the sound of her raspy breathing. Instinctively, he glanced at Vivian, frightened and upset at what he'd done... Her expression was dull and lifeless with a pained smile that tore at his very being. Her head fell against his shoulder with a calm sigh, face wincing.

He could tell she was in unspeakable pain, but she refused to admit it, only letting out a few more groans. Her chest huffed and puffed frantically, quivering in pain of his strength; he'd stabbed her hard enough to kill, and she mentally thanked him for making it so swift. She then moved her hand between them and gripped the hilt of the sword, pulling it out fast and hard. Without the blade to support her body, she fell with dead thump to the ground, a pool of red oozing out from underneath her.

Collapsing, Vivian's hat fell from her head, letting her hair spill out across the floor with her blood. Her revealed eyes weakly looked upon Koops, and she smiled again, retaining a peaceful gaze of requited love.

...How Koops longed to turn the sword on himself. He'd done a horrible, horrible thing... It should've been a crime to kill someone so pure and innocent. Vivian lay before him, her majestic beauty reduced to nothing but a lifeless slump... Her blood was all over his hands, arms, and shirt, torturing him with the truth...

_He didn't care if she wanted him to do it! He loved her and she loved him! ...And he... he **killed** her! **He killed her!** **What was he thinking?!**_

"Koops! Whaddya doing?! Get outta there!" someone screamed.

Snapping himself out of it, he darted out of the charging Beldam's path, who slammed her head into the wall. She shook it off angrily, mad that she'd missed such an easy target.

_"You'll pay for that, you--!" _Then, for seemingly no reason, she faltered and let out of a terrible screech of pain, proving Vivian's theory had come true. Just as she'd been fatally wounded, so had the Amethyst Star.

Koops gave her the coldest stare he possibly could. Just then, right there, a new thought struck him; one born out of pure hate and sorrow. Vivian's death wasn't his fault after all, none of this madness was... It was Beldam's fault.

_Vivian's tattered self-esteem was because of her! The Shadow Queen was reborn because of _her_! The only reason they were all down here was because of **her**! The only reason he had **kill** his one true love was **HER**!_

**_"You're nothing more than horrible monster!"_** he barked at the seething snake. **_"And I'm not gonna let some gutless snake control my life! You don't deserve to live!"_**

Koops ran for her with all his might, driven by the pain of Vivian's sacrifice. Seeing him coming, Beldam dove into the ground to kill him once and for all, but he avoided her at the last moment and made a blind slash, hoping to at least hit something.

And he did.

He suddenly found his arms drenched in what looked like black blood, accompanied by another one of Beldam's earsplitting yowls. Gazing up at her thrashing head, he noticed a deep gash in her left eye, with more black blood streaming from it. From what he could see, he'd sliced her entire eyeball in half, rendering her blind.

Seeing an open opportunity, Waffles hurled an egg at her, getting several questionable glances from everyone expect Ms. Mowz.

"What?!" he shrugged. "At least I'm_ trying _to help!"

Goombella jumped on top of the fallen pillar they'd hid behind. "Waffles' right! We can't just sit here and do nothing! I say we give her all got while we have the chance!"

She bounded over and rammed into Beldam, inching her toward a particularly deep crevasse. The impact made her recoil, but she shook it off and did it again. Koops was shocked, to say the least.

It wasn't long before the others came to back her up, the Crystal Stars unknowingly fueling them with newfound power. Waffles Ground Pounded her tail, Bobbery joined Goombella in ramming into her, and Flurrie released strong winds, gradually pushing her closer to the crevasse. Surprisingly, their attacks seemed to be having an affect this time, pushing Beldam closer and closer to the crevasse until a section of her hung over it. Feeling this, she quickly realized what they were trying to do and retaliated.

She snapped, spouted ice, and thrashed about, trying to hit everyone at once, but for every attacker she smacked away, two more harassed her from behind. In a last-ditch attempt to save herself, she launched a surprise snap on Koops, who was the furthest away. He managed to get out of range, but one of her fangs sliced through an arm, dowsing it with deadly, black poison. Letting out an anguished scream, he clutched his poisoned arm, tearing up at the burning acid ravaging his wound.

Taking advantage of this, Beldam knocked him off his feet with her tail, sending him tumbling down it and almost into hole behind her. Fortunately, Koops avoided it by turning on his shell and slid down to the midsection of her body, using his good arm to stab her with enough force to split a concrete floor in two.

With one last shriek, Beldam lost her balance and fell into the hole. She whipped the tip of her tail around to grab onto the ledge, but it was too weak to support her and broke apart as her tail grabbed it. Then, she spotted Koops barely hanging from the edge, his sword in his mouth.

_"If I'm doing down, I'll take you with me!"_ she hissed, wrapping her tail around him. **_"You will never again ssssee the light of day!"_**

With his bad arm, Koops was powerless to stop her, but the Diamond Star came to his rescue by delivering a final blow to her bad eye, causing her to let go and plunge into the darkness with an echoing roar of defeat that seemed to go on forever...

Above the crevasse, everyone waited and listened for an impact at the bottom, but were startled to hear nothing... No crash, no voices, no sign of her return... Just a slight breeze blowing up from the bottom, probably the result of her falling into it. Glances of confusion and shock were endlessly exchanged.

"Do you think we...?" whispered Goombella.

Bobbery peered into the hole. "I'm not quite sure..."

Flurrie made a face. "Maybe..."

Waffles jumped into the air. "**YES!** We did it! We actually did it! She's not coming back _this _time!"

Although reluctant at first, everyone soon joined in on his celebrating by shaking hands, giving congratulatory pats on backs, and breathing a much-needed sigh of relief. The darkness of several millennia had finally passed, and they were privileged to know they were responsible for its eradication. They'd done themselves and billions of people a favor by purging the world of the Shadow Queen's reign; Mario couldn't have done better himself.

Goombella abruptly stopped rejoicing and looked around. "...Wait, where's Koops? Did anyone see where he went?"

She was answered with several shrugs and questionable glances from the group until Waffles pointed at the crevasse.

"Look! Over there!"

Koops had managed to keep hold onto the ledge, despite being a little shaken up at his death-defying escape. Unfortunately, he wasn't out of the woods yet; he could feel his weakened grip slowly slipping, his blood-drenched hands making it difficult to hold on. He tried pulling himself up with one hand, but such a feat proved impossible. And with a poisoned arm hanging useless by his side, it was only a matter of time before he joined Beldam in her demise. His feet scrambled against the ledge he hung from, trying to give him the boost he needed, but without the momentum of a pair of arms, he couldn't hoist himself up... He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt his fingers separate from the ledge when a pair of small hands grabbed his wrist.

Reluctantly, he looked up to see it was Waffles, his diaper in Goombella's teeth, who was being held by Ms. Mowz, who was holding onto Bobbery, who was being held by Flurrie. He couldn't believe it; they were all working together to save him...?

"Dude!" grunted Waffles, the blood also making his grip slippery. "You... gotta try to... hang on! You can't... just die on us! Not after... all that!"

"Mmmphmmmmphpphmh!" shouted Goombella, Waffles' diaper clouding her dialogue.

"Yes, Koops!" added Ms. Mowz. "Please hang on dear life!"

"I should say, old boy! Keep a stiff upper lip there!" called out Bobbery.

"They're right, dearie!" said Flurrie. "Come now, just a little further..."

After a few more tense seconds, they all managed to pull Koops back to safety of the narrow ledge. Afterwards, everybody other than the rodent and Koopa fell over from exhaustion. It'd been a long fight, and it was safe to say that all had given some, while some had given all...

Despite his terrible condition, Koops weakly stood and managed to quickly limp over to Vivian's body, falling to his knees once he reached her. He panted, lungs burning and heart still racing from the ordeal. His body ached, he was bleeding badly and moments away from passing out, but he didn't care. The only thing that could ease his pain was to have her nearby... But he knew she wouldn't be around much longer... His friends could only glance sadly at one another, also knowing this.

Swallowing hard, he carefully turned her over. She had a hand clutching her stab wound, which was oozing blood. Both her gloved hands were completely covered in it. She was still suffering from the earlier blow, her breath coming in short, trembling gasps.

Seeing his arm, her face saddened. "...Koops...? Y-your arm..."

He shook his head, disregarding his wound. "That doesn't matter... I'm... just so... sorry... for all of this..."

"...Don't be. You had no choice..."

"But... I could've done something to prevent this!" He pounded his good arm into the floor. "...This wasn't supposed to happen...!"

She closed her eyes. "...If anyone should be sorry... it should be me..."

"Don't say that. None of this was your fault..." He forced a smile, tearing up at her apology. "You don't have to be sorry for anything."

She tried to say something else, but choked. Her eyes fought to stay open, but all they wanted to do was close... She was so tired, mentally and physically... She could feel herself slowly fading away as her vision began to blur.

Koops pulled her close, holding onto her as hard as he could. It was almost as if he were trying to hold onto to dying soul... But that wasn't the case, for he knew what happened was meant to happen. Just like his mother before, he knew he had to let her go...

Regardless, he wanted her to know that he was still there... He'd always be there, for nothing would ever keep him from her again, not even death... He wanted her to know how sorry he was for everything she went through, whether it was his fault or not.

...And he could tell she thanked him for that in every way possible. She'd made peace with herself and could go on without suffering. Her friends had survived and she had no regrets, knowing she'd given herself up for a good cause. If she had to, she would've done it again in a heartbeat.

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Vivian shuddered, sneering at the resulting sting. Koops cringed as he felt her hand pulling against his shirt in pain.

"No, no. Just lie still. We'll get you some help and... you'll be fine. It's just a small wound... We can fix this..."

She smiled sadly, knowing he was in denial. She was too far gone, and no amount of treatment and care could bring her back. Already, she could hear the faint beating of her heart becoming more evident in her head. In such a short amount of time, it'd gone from a strong, healthy pulse to a frail, sickly one, racked with skips and sputters. She winced and gasped at every incomplete beat it struggled to spurt. ...She felt it could stop any minute.

"...I-it'll be okay. You can rest now... Everything's going to be fine, I promise." Koops soothed. He could tell by her distant gaze it wouldn't be long.

"...Rest..." she repeated, still smiling. "...Lillian's resting, isn't she...? In the good place...?"

He nodded, more tears coming at the remembrance of what he told her. "That's right. She's with my mom, remember...?"

"...Yes..." She placed her head on his good arm, drifting off. "...And... happy..."

"Yeah, they both are. That's why they call the 'good place'... You know that, right?"

"..."

"...Vivian?" he asked, hoping she'd respond with a sigh, a whisper, a shudder--anything that showed she was still alive.

...But she didn't answer, didn't move... He felt her go limp, her hand slowly losing its grip.

He grabbed her hand and held it tight. "Vivian, wake up. I'm right here... I'm here! Wake up...!"

Horrified, he held her bloody hand to his cheek, hoping to feel its warmth. But there was nothing, no feeling at all. It was then he noticed she was no longer breathing, her body still and heavy... He stared at her a moment longer, then dropped his head, sobbing. He let go of her hand and hugged her body tight, cradling it longingly. The smile on her face remained, happy to've died while listening to his words become faded, intelligible language, then... silence.

He buried his head into her lifeless chest, torn at not being able to hear her gentle, beating heart. Her body was once so warm, so soft and full of life. Instead, all he felt was cold; harsh, brutal cold like the snow all around them. There was little difference between the two now...

The others had finally realized that Vivian had passed on and lowered their heads in remorse, either crying or on the verge of it. Goombella seemed to be taking it the hardest. Despite this, Ms. Mowz remained unaffected, her focus on the Crystal Stars. The crystalline objects had begun to glow and were acting very strangely.

Sniffling, his head still buried in her chest, Koops noticed something odd about Vivian's body, like it was somehow slipping away from him... Looking up, he saw he was right; in a dazzling array of red sparkles, she dissipated, the particles gracefully dispersing across the area... As the rest of her body disappeared, the only thing left behind was Flurrie's necklace, which fell to the ground where she once was. Needless to say, everyone else was just as shocked.

"Wh... W-what's going on...? W-where's she...?" asked a tearful Goombella.

Ms. Mowz nodded. "I assume Koops already told you, but I'll reiterate; Vivian wasn't born a Shadow Siren, only made as one and claimed as a Stellar Being. Therefore, if she's ever killed, she will simply revert back into what she came from: the power the Ruby Star."

Koops looked on in confusion, unsure of what to feel. Shame, anger, sadness, aggravation, and shock all churned within him, as he watched her vanish before his very eyes. Frustrated, he looked up, only to be greeted by his own reflection the glowing Diamond Star. It was then everyone noticed their Stars were doing the same.

Each one shimmered rhythmically before their Holder as if thanking them for banishing the evil and setting them free once again. Then, just as Vivian had departed, each Star flew up and away, disappearing near the ceiling, their destination unknown. The only that remained was the Ruby Star, staying by Koops. Judging from it actions, it didn't want to follow the others. Was it...?

"V-Vivian...?"

The Star did nothing, but something about its soft, warm glow mesmerized him. Curious and distraught, he placed a hand on it, hoping for it to somehow ease his pain. Closing his eyes, he almost thought he could _see_ her,_ hear_ her, _feel_ her from within... He wasn't sure if it was the Star's doing, or wishful thinking, but he had a vision; a quick, fleeting one, but a vision, nonetheless...

_In it, he saw himself and Vivian standing before each other, their surroundings bathed in a light of dazzling red. She was wearing a beautiful dress of a pink similar to her hair. The waist and collar were covered with rubies and amethysts, while fancy designs of roses graced her delicate outfit. Her hair was done up in a ponytail of curls, blowing gently in the warm air that wafted by. And a golden tiara adorned with more rubies replaced her hat, highlighting the beauty of her revealed eyes._

_If Koops didn't know any better, he would've thought she looked just like... a princess... _

_She held out a transparent hand to him and he looked it, confused. Carefully, he extended his hand as well, and she took it, overlapping her fingers with his. They touched palms and squeezed tightly for a brief moment, then Vivian let go. With one last smile, she turned and began walking away into the glistening background of red, not once looking back..._

...In a flash, everything had reverted back to normal, and Koops was no closer to accepting the fact that she was gone. The Ruby Star left his reach, reluctantly flying away before disappearing, taking a part of him with it...

The area soon fell into a solemn silence at the departure of the last Star, their friend, ally, and companion. The still air of the room was filled with emotion, regret, and unsaid things the Shadow Siren would've loved to hear. Koops picked up Flurrie's necklace, cradling it just as he had her. He shook his head in disgust at what he'd grown accustomed to calling it. The necklace no longer belonged to Flurrie; it was Vivian's now, whether she was there to wear it or not.

...Shuddering, he coughed up blood. Unable to take her the pain of Vivian's passing any longer, Koops suddenly lost the will to stay conscious and collapsed. The poison in his arm had been ravaging his body for a good while, finally forcing him to succumb to it. It'd been residing in him too long, and he was beginning to feel its fatal pangs.

But maybe it was for the best... Maybe he was destined to follow Vivian no matter where she went, even if it was to the afterlife. Because he'd go to the "good place", and finally have the one thing that'd the two most longed for...

Happiness.

_

* * *

_

_It was like a dream she couldn't remember... Everything seemed to be there one minute, then gone the next... She could feel her pain melting away and being replaced with warmth and happiness... Her surroundings were bright and she thought she heard voices... They were coming from all over the place, all garbled and unintelligible. She was eager to find out what was going on, and what had happened... Did they truly defeat Beldam? Was she back home with Koops and the others? Had the whole thing been just a dream...? _

_Vivian pondered this as she stood on the brink of nowhere, staring off into a dark area of nothingness. Thick, white fog blew from her behind her, beckoning her with its warmth. Despite this, she was reluctant to enter it, unsure if it held any promise..._

_Another puff brushed by, revealing Lillian to her side. Her appearance seemed transparent and ghostlike, wearing the exact dress she had on when she died. _

**_"It's been a long time coming, hasn't it?"_**_ she asked. _

_Vivian hung her head. **"I know... It all just happened so fast..." **_

_Lillian nodded.** "They usually do..." **_

**_"But it's not fair..." _**_she responded, wiping her damp face. Seeing this, Lillian placed a hand on her shoulder. _

**_"It never was. But I'm sure things'll be different from now on..." _**

_That wasn't what she wanted to hear, as she didn't care whether it applied there or not. Nothing ever seemed to go right for her; what sorrow that pursued her in life even followed her beyond. It was all so dispiriting, knowing she was close to happiness, only to be torn away at the last second. She'd rather be alive and content than dead and longing... She looked into the bleak view before her and sighed, thinking of what could've been. _

_Teary-eyed, she looked to her sibling. **"Will I really be... happy here...?" **_

**_"Sure you will. It might hurt now, but give it time..."_** _Lillian took her hand, leading her away from the abyss and into the fog. **"C'mon, it's time to go home..." **_

**_

* * *

_****_Authoress' Notes:_**_ Wanna chase me down with pitchforks and torches for the **"Romeo & Juliet"**–esque ending? Go ahead; you're supposed to! Plus, didn't I say there was gonna be an epilogue? And, as you can probably see, Koops' dream in Chapter 8 had a purpose after all, huh? _

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_It didn't seem right; it didn't seem fair. He wasn't a bad person... He didn't deserve this, and neither did she._

Was this supposed to happen? And if not, then why did it? His head hurt from the earlier trauma, but he'd survive the night; the same could be said for her...

The danger was gone now, up and left like a storm that served no purpose but to dismantle and destroy. She was gone now, too, an undeserving victim of said storm. He knew he couldn't survive long without her, but what was he supposed to do? Where was he supposed to go? There was no one he could go to for help... and the night was fast approaching.

He continued to wander around aimlessly, wanting to live, waiting to die, and hoping... for an answer.


	31. Epilogue

**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ Eek, what a weird chapter this one is! Let's just say watching videos of **"Earthbound"**, plus the stress of waiting for **"SSBB"** equals this. Once you see the final boss, prepare to go into the fetal position for several weeks. _

_Anyway, enough of my trauma... Here it is; the real REAL ending. This is the last time I'll be able to actually say anything about this story... Sigh. Kinda sad, ain't it? I won't beat around the bush, so I guess I'll just say this: _

_I'd like to thank all my fans, supporters, reviewers, and friends for their advice and encouragement on this story. Not once did I think some dumb, little one-shot would turn into something so epic. I think I can safely say I've done myself and fans of this fic proud. I've grown and learned countless things from writing this, and I feel I'll be able to put them to great use one day. So once again, thank you all for your words, wisdom, and just being there; I'd be nowhere without any of you. May your writer's block be few and your aspirations stay high. -**The Great Chicken Miasma**_

_

* * *

_

**_Better Off Alone_**

_Epilogue_

_**

* * *

**In the middle of nowhere, in a place unknown by anyone, a Koopa sighed, unsure of what was going on. He was in a vast pit of darkness, unable to see anything... It was probably the poison going to his head and making him hallucinate. After passing out, this was where he ended up. Dark, cold, and spacious, there was little that could be done about his predicament. There was no telling where was or how long he'd been there; unconscious, in a dream, dead... He couldn't say. _

_As dark as it was, a silhouette or something would often wander past his peripheral vision, disappearing the second he turned to look at it. All throughout the area, he occasionally heard some sounds like people talking backwards... They were vague and distant, and he could've one of them was actually talking normally. It almost sounded like... _

_**"...V-Vivian?" **_

**_"Yes?" _**_answered the voice. _

_He waved a hand around, looking for the source of her voice.** "Is that you? Are you there? Your voice... It sounds... different." **_

**_"Of course it does. Why would it not?" _**

_He walked forward in a direction. **"Why does it, though? Is something wrong?" **_

_She laughed bitterly.** "Everything's wrong. Everything that possibly can go wrong already has. You just can't see it." **_

_He frowned, but kept going.** "...Well, I can't see **_**you_, either... But you're near. I can feel you..." _**

**_"Lies." _**

**_"What?" _**

**_"They're all lies, every single word. There is no feeling, no hope, no warmth here. You can't feel me." _**

**_"...But I know you're there. Everything else is so cold. Please... come here. You're so close..." _**

_A Boo-like cackle sounded some ways further off.** "There is no close here. Only darkness. Don't you get it?" **_

**_"...Are you a part of the darkness? Is that why I can't see you?" _**

**_"Maybe..." _**

**_"...What do you mean, 'maybe'?" _**

_A loud, disturbing snap sounded, as if someone had broken their neck.** "Is that what you wanted? Is that what you deserved? Did you work hard enough for it?" **_

**_"...W-what?" _**_Koops suddenly backed away as more strange noises began to catch his ear. He heard deep breathing, retching, more neck-snapping, and someone screaming in horror._

**_"Love means nothing to you; it never has. You don't even understand what it means to be who you are. You're not you anymore." _**

**_"What are you talking about? Of course I'm me..." _**

_In the background, someone started crying uncontrollably.** "No, you're not. Stop kidding yourself. It's all a lie..." **_

**_"..." _**

**_"You're a fool for going with what you believe in. Why can't you just act like other Koopas? Maybe then you'd actually be able to accomplish something." _**

**_"...I don't understand..." _**

_A shrill scream rang through his ears.** "That's because the enemy is here." **_

**_"...What enemy?" _**

**_"It's here; it's always been here. And it'll always stay here until you make it go away. Stop fighting yourself." _**

**_"You mean Beldam? But she's dead..." _**_Koops flinched as glass shattered nearby. It sounded so close, he almost felt as if a window pane had been thrown at him, barely missing._

**_"You cannot kill the enemy; it is immortal and proficient. It lives on." _**

**_"Where?" _**

**_"Everywhere."_**

_One last snap echoed through the darkness as a blue skeleton of a snake appeared, literally from nowhere. It towered over him menacingly as disjointed vocals rang out in the background. It slowly hovered towards him, not making any effort to do so. _

_In an instant, Koops tried to attack with his shell, but he went straight through the hazy figure. It responded by eerily turning around and giving chase again. Koops darted off as it began to pick up speed. _

**_"Why do you feel the way you do about her?!"_**_ it demanded, despite its jaw not moving. _

**_"Because I love her!"_**_ Koops responded, still running. _

**_"You've messed with wrong one! You will never find happiness so long as you pretend to be something you're not!" _**

**_"No! She is my happiness! ...S-she is...!" _**

_The snake kept gaining speed, getting closer and closer until Koops could see its jaws hanging over him. Then, it snapped them shut--! _

_

* * *

_...Koops suddenly opened his eyes, waking from yet another horrific slumber. He saw the scariest things, heard the weirdest voices, and sometimes felt as if he'd been dragged into the underworld itself by some sort of... demon. He had no idea what day it was of what week of what month of what year; everything seemed to mesh together in some sort of disjointed jumble...

From what he remembered, he'd been unconscious for nearly two weeks. He first awoke in bed back at home, Goombella and Koopie Koo by his side. He felt sick and weak, barely able to sit up without getting headache. They said he still needed to rest, but wallowing in self-pity seemed to block out the physical pain, providing him with horrifying nightmares. In a few days upon his awakening, he was up and about like nothing had happened. On the inside, however, he was merely a shell of his former self...

In reality, he felt as if the poison was still in him somewhere, but it never seemed to resurface. It was almost as if it'd disappeared entirely into nothing...

It may've been Vivian's doing. She _was_ a Crystal Star after all... Maybe, in her final moments, she used that power to heal him.

Of course, everyone else said it was some sort of miracle; not only was the poison the absolute worst of its kind, but the dosage was more than enough to kill him on the spot. It took days and days of constant resuscitation and they even lost him a few times, but he managed to pull through... unfortunately.

He kind of wished they'd just... let him go. The poison was his one way to joining Vivian... It was a perfect match. He'd be with her right now if his friends hadn't interfered.

He sighed, suddenly ashamed of thing like that. It wasn't their fault; they were only trying to help. And Vivian wouldn't have wanted him to suffer...

Regardless, life without her was going to very hard. She was like the glue that held his life together. Despite his best efforts, he still wasn't able to save her. His friends mourned her loss as well, but they were optimistic. They'd reached their goals and done the world good, with Vivian's life a small price to pay. To them, she was a friend, not a lover; there was huge difference in the grief.

Things just weren't the same now that she was really gone... When his mother passed on, it was so hard to cope. Days, weeks, months, _years _without her seemed like an endless torture neither of them deserved. The disappearance of his father only rubbed the salt in his wounds. The only shoulder he had left to comfortably cry on had deserted him to meet the same fate at Hooktail's jaws. Koops wondered if he was feeling the same way Koopley did when she died. Wanting to do so much to bring her back, but was powerless to do so.

* * *

...He was outside now. He wasn't exactly sure how he got there, but he was. It was hard to tell what was where and where was what now. He knew had Vivian's necklace; he hadn't let go of it since the moment he realized what it was. He sat on the outskirts of town, Shhwonk Fortress overshadowing him as he stared off into the distance. Saying he was overcome with grief was understatement. 

Vivian's belongings gathered dust on the nightstand back home. Her Yoshi doll and Lillian's diary were the only mementos of her existence... Well, that and her necklace.

Koops couldn't find himself going anywhere near the doll or diary, but he had to have her necklace with him at all times. He let the beads massage his shaking hands as tears came to his eyes. He shuddered at the remembrance of the last time he put it on her...

**_"...I'm sorry for being so stubborn. I didn't think you really meant it."_**_ She rested her head against his chest. **"How could I not forgive you after all that?"** _

**_"I'm glad... And I promise I'll make it up to you. Really, I will..."_**_ He pulled out Flurrie's necklace, placing it around her neck. **"Starting now."** _

Once again, he'd lied. Instead making up for his faults, he ended up killing her. The fact wasn't ironic; it was heartbreaking, painfully sad beyond all degrees of sorrow. This wasn't like those sappy dramas on TV, this was real... The bleeding of his crushed heart was not to be denied.

He squeezed more tears from his eyes, too tired to wipe them away. The necklace was hugged against him, shaking with his heaving chest.

Koops felt like the poison had damaged him more mentally than physically. Maybe it didn't kill him, but he now had to suffer because of that. He sometimes... heard things... Like voices. They didn't seem to make much sense, and he could never figure out who they belonged to... Some sounded like Beldam, some sounded like Vivian... He could've even sworn he heard his mother ever once in a while. Others... just made him shudder.

He sighed and massaged his temples again, not sure of where his pain was coming from or what he could do to quell it. His friends would come and go, try to talk him out of it, but their words fell on deaf ears. It wasn't the fact that Vivian was gone that bothered him, it was that he was the cause of it. He'd made so many mistakes and done so many stupid things, it could only be_ his_ fault. He thought he'd finally rescued her from Beldam, pulling her away from the plight that was her wicked sibling...

_But no..._ He'd let her slip through his fingers again, just like his mother...

Beldam's defeat was more of a loss then a victory to him. Her greediness cost Vivian her life and, in a way, his own. Over and over again, he was told it wasn't his fault, but that wasn't enough to prove it was true. Love meant nothing to him now and never would again, for Beldam had taken away the one thing that made him happy.

Behind him, he heard soft steps on the trimmed grass. Scowling at the ground, he pictured Goombella, Koopie Koo, or someone else approaching to give him yet another speech about his inappropriate behavior.

_"Look on the bright side,"_ they'd always say. _"You're alive, and the world's been saved again. You've done us all proud... Many a Koopa will come to envy your tale of triumph. The Stalwart Koopa himself would be honored..."_

...But he didn't care about any of that; as selfish as it sounded, he'd rather have Vivian in a dark world than be without her in a peaceful one. That thought alone was the truth, and he'd shamelessly scream it from the highest mountains if he had to.

He was a hero in everyone's eyes... except his own.

"Hello, Koops," came the voice of Ms. Mowz. "...It's good to see you're recovering well. How're you holding up?"

He wasn't 'holding up' at all; more like hanging by a thread, just wanting to let go. His body language said this louder than he himself ever could.

The rodent nodded. "I know you're hurting now, but time heals all wounds, no matter how deep they may be. Vivian may be gone, but it was the only way; she died because she cared for her friends... and because she loved you."

"...She didn't die..." he muttered. "...I _killed _her..."

A sigh followed. "Dreading on must come to pass won't make it any better. You have to have strength for the future, otherwise... you won't have one."

It was ironic and tortuous was she was saying. Something told him all of it was a lie, but he felt compelled to listen.

"For what it's worth, you should be happy that Vivian's happy. And indeed, I know she went in the best way anyone could."

He shook his head, wanting her to stop talking now. "No... You're wrong... Just let it go... There's nothing good about this."

"So, you assume I'm wrong simply because a few things didn't turn out the way you wanted them to?"

He shot her a bitter look, full of hate and loathing. _"What do you think?! Vivian's **dead**! **Nothing **went the way I wanted it to!"_

"The word 'dead' is so misleading. I prefer to say she's passed on, opened new doors, is in peace..."

"..." Shedding a tear, he returned to cradling the necklace.

"...I see you have no interest in hearing what I have to say, then?"

Again, Koops didn't answer, ignoring her completely now. He was tired of everyone trying to make him feel better with their lies. All he wanted was to be left alone to grieve in peace. Maybe he'd come around, maybe he wouldn't, but egging him on with their sympathy wasn't helping. _Why couldn't they understand that?!_

In the blink of an eye, Ms. Mowz had zipped by him, taking the necklace in the process.

Outraged, he stood. _"Give that back! What's wrong with you?!" _

"Until you learn to grow up and accept fate, I shall keep this necklace."

"_Why can't you just go away?! _I just want to be left alone...!"

"Koops, I know it's hard, but you're going to have to stop moping around and accept that Vivian is gone. Unless you can do that, you'll never make peace yourself... And neither will she. Vivian wanted it this way, and I don't think you're doing her sacrifice justice by beating yourself up about it..."

He rubbed his head in pain. "I just... don't know what to do anymore. Everything hurts, Ms. Mowz; it really does. It really does... I... I... hear things... Terrible, awful things... And I see them... They're... horrible."

Ms. Mowz's eye sparkled. "I feel a dark aura seeping from somewhere..."

"..." Koops looked on with tired and emotionless eyes.

She frowned. It was unperceivable by the naked eye and all other senses, but it was there. It had no form, had no feeling, and couldn't exist on that plane alone, but it was alive and it was there. No words could describe it, this... hazy essence of regret, anger, and hate, with just a hint of insanity. It was like poison, or maybe the product of madness, unable to grasp the very meaning of its odium. The force was strong, and the feelings evil, for it was the power of the corrupted Amethyst Star in its final moments... Beldam's manic plans for power were obviously the driving force. Its essence clouded the area with its supremacy, suffocating Koops' mind and killing any hope he had left. It was darkness in its purest form.

Koops fell to the ground, clawing the dirt in aggravation. "I failed her... I failed her, there's no way around it... Everything was perfect until that... that**_ monster_** took her away!" He suddenly snapped his head up, enraged tears flowing down his cheeks. "You said she was supposed to survive! We did everything you said! _We defeated Beldam, but she still died! **Why?!**_"

"I said the Crystal Stars were to take Vivian's life, and because of what we did, they didn't. The only reason she died is because of the Amethyst Star and its negligent user. I assure you, Beldam is paying dearly for her involvement."

He hung his head. "...Does that mean we weren't meant to be? Was our love... forbidden? ...Is that why?"

"No, that's just the way things happened. Part of growing up is accepting what you get and what comes to pass. Not all of our experiences are what we want, but we better ourselves by taking what we can from them. It's not about being optimistic or looking on the bright side, it's about knowing you'll be more prepared for the next time."

"But I broke my promise!" He painfully squeezed more tears from his eyes. It hurt to cry now. "I-I said I'd take care of her and... _and...!_"

"And did you not? You provided her with the best care you could, even almost sacrificing yourself in the process. Don't mourn her passing, Koops; embrace it, and know she's in a better place. No one will ever hurt her again, and nevermore will she cry. She no longer knows how it feels to lament or hate. You took care of her here and Lillian will in the afterlife. ...Isn't that what you wanted all along?"

"..."

She was right... Vivian _was _in better place, and that should be good enough for him. It was understandable to be sad, but his attitude was a little deplorable. Somewhere deep down, a small part of him as if his sorrow wasn't entirely his fault... Like maybe there was something else provoking it... Upon Ms. Mowz's words, it'd been uplifted and only enlightenment remained.

Ms. Mowz narrowed her eyes as she felt the haze lifting, now spurting nonsensical gibberish at its defeat. It grudgingly dissipated into nothingness, allowing the sun's rays to once more streak through the previously-darkened forest. The last of the poison in Koops was gone, but this wasn't the end of it. ...Could it've been his repressed feelings? The fury of Amethyst Star? ...An evil remnant of the fallen? She wasn't sure, but whatever it was had only been kept at bay. It would return... It _swore_ it would...

Feeling a little less distressed, guilt began to sink into Koops' mind. Beforehand, he'd felt a little haunted by who-knows-what. And as that feeling left him, he suddenly began to see things clearer. The voices, sights, and weird noises were gone, only leaving the question as to what they were and meant. Standing, he sighed, clearly uplifted.

"...You're probably tired of hearing me whine, aren't you?" he reluctantly asked. The rodent didn't answer, but simply walked off. "...I appreciate your words and guidance, as I always have. Without you, I'd be nothing. ...And I know Vivian thanks you, too."

"You're a very brave sort, Koops." She nodded, her back turned. "You've a good head on your shoulders, a gentle heart, and the purest intentions of a boy your age I've ever seen."

He scoffed. "...No, no, I'm not. I'm anything but that."

"Nonsense. You've just got to stop doubting yourself... But for now, I've something to tell you..."

She continued walking off, pulling out a staff with a crescent moon on top. Koops frowned at its familiarity. He'd seen it somewhere before, but couldn't quite put his finger on where...

The rodent held the staff high and he watched as energy collected on it. The power grew and grew until it'd consumed her, transforming her shape and size. Koops looked on in confusion as she lost her mouse-like form, gaining a new, more spectral one. The glowing soon subsided as she lowered the staff, and Ms. Mowz was no more. Koops now looked upon a Boo hovering above him. With her pale blue color, short, purple hair, and a blue-and-white striped hat similar to Beldam's, it was plain to see who she really was.

He blinked. "M-Ms. Mowz...?"

"Simply an alias, my friend. You may know as... Teresa."

"Teresa? T-the Boo Heroine?! But... you were one of the Four Heroes, and they all died! How did you--"

"Being a mage has its advantages. I've made a shadow of myself in order to right all the things that have been wronged."

"But... is this even possible?"

"Apparently so. I couldn't break the curse placed on the Ruby Star I carried, but I used my powers to speak with it and persuade it to give me a chance to fix all that had been wronged. Seeing this, it decided to pardon me. As long as kept my identity a secret, I was allowed to stay alive until I succeeded. The soul trapped in my Black Chest was only a projection of myself; a copy, if you will."

That explained a lot... How she always disappeared without a trace, came out of nowhere just when he need her, knew exactly what to say, and only revealed what she wanted to be seen. He always knew there was something unique about her, but this blew all of his ideas away.

"...So, Ms. Mowz...?"

"...Never existed? Well, I suppose she didn't now, didn't she? But that's not the point. I've finally appeared to you because the prophecy has been fulfilled, and your acceptance of Vivian's passing was the last part to it."

"I don't understand..."

"The Crystal Stars may either be used for good or evil, but their true nature desires to help others and draws on feelings of hope, sacrifice, and acceptance. Although it may've been hard at first, I can see now you've truly learned the error of your ways, despite its minor inconvenience."

Koops shook his head, more confused than ever. "...What exactly are you trying to say?"

Teresa pulled out her staff, stroking the crescent tip. "I suppose actions are louder than words, so I shall show you the spoils of your victory."

The Koopa frowned, seeing no reason to do such a thing. Regardless, Teresa closed her eyes and rhythmically moved the staff about, looking very graceful as she did so. After her small routine was over, she held her staff high, causing it to glow a bright, blinding light that covered the entire area. Koops squinted and shielded his eyes while trying to see through the intense illumination.

Teresa's form had faded, becoming a faint silhouette against the flash of lights. She soon vanished and there was nothing until...

"Koops?"

...It was her voice again, just like in his nightmares. She'd always call out to him from afar as if she was warning him of what was to come. It was so eerie and delicate, but he'd always been drawn to it, hoping against all hope it was really her... She kept calling his name until her ghostly form appeared, drifting towards him like a balloon in the wind. She walked in ways that didn't even seem normal for her; he knew it was her ghost coming to haunt him again.

Sometimes he'd see her, sometimes he didn't. It was all so confusing and terrifying, he found it hard to concentrate. ...And they're was always been a false sense of security, like something was just waiting to take her away and swallow him whole again. Knowing it wasn't real, he turned away, unable to look her in face.

"Koops..."

"No! No!" He shook his head. "Please... Just stop it..."

In his mind, in his thoughts, in his dreams, it was always the same. She'd be so close to him, reaching out take his hand, and he was ready to welcome her so fondly. But just as he got his arms around her, she'd disappear... And he'd be alone again. Alone just like he was when his family was torn apart... He couldn't bear to see another vision. Why was she doing this?!

"Please stop taunting me..." He desperately pleaded to the unseen Teresa. "I said I was sorry... What else do you want?!"

He flinched as a soft hand caressed his face.

"I want to stay with you."

He looked up in shock. Not once did the visions of her ever speak like that...

She came closer and gently took his hand, placing it her chest. Horrified at what would happen next, he started to pull away, but suddenly stopped. He felt something... something soft, warm, and alive in a strong, steady rhythm.

It was her heartbeat, an actual pulse. Unlike his visions, which faded away when he touched them, she was real as ever.

"...Is that really you?" He ran his fingers through her curls, its memorable cotton-like texture pleasing his senses. "It's not, is it? ...T-this is just a dream?"

She looked around in confusion. "...I think so."

_Her voice...!_ It sounded so confused and real, like she really had no idea what was going on. In his visions, her voice was always so distorted and full of static, as if she were talking through a possessed radio. It had no feeling, often taunted him, and usually had the same tone of evilness Beldam once did. It made his stomach cramp just thinking about it.

But the voice he heard now was soft and sweet, gentle and warm. It was full of feeling, emotion, and was as close as to him as it could be. It was then he noticed she was no longer transparent or idly drifting about with no purpose. The whiteness of the background faded and everything returned to normal.

Seeing his puzzled expression, she smiled shyly. "Well, I know _you're_ here, so I don't think it's a dream."

"But how...? Y-you're supposed to be de--"

Suddenly reappearing, Teresa cleared her throat. "Now, what did I tell you about using that word? Besides, after ridding the world of the Shadow Queen, the Great Enemy, _and_ restoring equality and peace to the Crystal Stars, I think this is the least I can do. ...Isn't this what you wanted?"

"But... I thought you said it was better to accept she was gone..." Wincing, he reluctantly pulled away from Vivian. "This is another test, isn't it? To see if I'll take the bait? ...Even if it meant giving her up, I want her to be happy. Really, I understand that now; you don't have to do this anymore."

"Oh, poor Koops. All this madness has made you paranoid, hasn't it? I assure you that this time, it's the real deal," said Teresa. "Vivian's here because she wants to be."

Vivian nodded, smiling. "She's right. The good place was nice... but it was missing the one thing I wanted most..."

Koops was baffled. "...What could possibly be better than being there?"

"Well... being with you."

Hearing that touched Koops' heart in so many ways, he could even begin to express them all. Saying such a thing and meaning it was no small feat. She wrapped her arms around him with a smile, just glad to be near him again. Her long drought of loneliness was over, the result being their ultimate happiness together. She'd gladly choose his company over everything else, as the same went for him. Her job done, Teresa gently placed the necklace back over Vivian's neck and began floating off.

"Wait, Ms. Mow--uh, Teresa?" called Koops. "Where're you going?"

She tipped her hat. "To rest. This job took all my strength, but my rewards will be great, for I've accomplished everything with fantastic outcomes. Tell the others I've gone on a... permanent vacation."

"But I thought you were pardoned. Doesn't that mean you can stay?"

"No, it is my fate to join the others in the afterlife. My pardoning was only temporary. I was destined to die, and I dare not go against it. It's what will be, and what must come. Believe me; I've been waiting a long time for this day."

Koops looked disappointed. "...Will we ever see you again?"

She smiled sadly. "I'm afraid not. My time here is up now that everything's back to normal. I shouldn't stay here any longer than I have to. By order of the Crystal Stars, I must return to the beyond..."

Vivian frowned. "Then, I guess this is... goodbye?"

"No. I won't say goodbye; I never say goodbye. For now, I only say farewell. Farewell and remember all the things you've learned and apply them. And if you should forget all else, remember this: hope will always overcome darkness, faith shall forever triumph over evil, and charity will never fail to win the hearts of those most distant."

The Shadow Siren couldn't help but take those words to heart, as Koops saw it as simple advice. With a final bow of departure, she hovered away, her body slowly becoming more and more transparent until she disappeared from view, leaving not a trace of herself behind. It was difficult to tell whether she'd ever been there at all...

Vivian and Koops stood in silence as their friend and advisor left them. It was an odd, bittersweet kind of feeling, but it was for the best. After so many years, the Four Heroes were finally all together again. And they would never be forgotten.

Koops took Vivian's hand. "...Come on. Let's go home."

She smiled at that, remembering Lillian saying almost the exact same thing in the good place. And she really was going home... To another kind of good place.

The two were about to leave when the distant sound of something coming through the shadows caught Koops' attention. Holding Vivian back, he braced himself for the worse. With Teresa gone, it could've been anything at this point. He stood his ground, ready to react the best way he could, both for his and Vivian's sake. Oddly, to his surprise, Marilyn appeared from the darkness. She dully gazed ahead at Koops, but seemed more focused on Vivian.

He hadn't seen her since they destroyed the Shadow Queen, so why was she here now? To get revenge? To try and pick up where Beldam left off? She was still technically the enemy, whether she and Vivian were related or not. Vivian, on the other hand, knew Marilyn wanted nothing to do with their power-hungry sister. Knowing her, Beldam probably abandoned her after figuring out how to get all the Crystal Stars. Maybe she was here to make amends...?

Koops scowled, ready for a fight. "...What do you want?"

Marilyn sneered, adjusting her hat. "...I see you're quite taken with Vivian."

"Huh?" He looked to Vivian for an answer. "...I didn't know Marilyn could talk..."

"Well, she can... a little." She was clearly just as confused. "She's never said anything like this, though..."

He looked back at the siren. "...So, why're you here? We don't have the Crystal Stars, if that's what you want."

"...No. To keep an eye on Vivian. ...She needs looking after..."

"But... I'm staying with Koops now." She hugged his arm, smiling. "It's okay, you can trust him. See?"

"...We should stay together at all times." Marilyn crossed her arms. "...I made the mistake of not doing that with Lillian..."

Vivian nodded in understanding. Since Beldam was gone, it only made sense she'd want to be around her last surviving sibling.

"So... you want to stay... with me and Koops?"

"...Not now. ...Maybe stay here for privacy... " Marilyn continued staring Koops down. "...Is that a problem?"

He made a face, the thought of her hanging around in the fortress very odd. Of course, she did seem deeply concerned about Vivian's welfare. Her situation was understandable, but so was the awkwardness of coming to terms with her.

Vivian smiled pleadingly. "Koops, you don't mind, do you? Please? She's nothing like Beldam. She won't cause any trouble."

Koops wasn't sure he had any say in the matter. Only bad things would come from refusing the two...

He shrugged. "Why not? You're, uh, welcome to stay as long as you... like?"

Marilyn's firm expression refused to change. She only answered with a simple nod before coming over to pat Vivian's head.

"...I know you'll take good care of her... I can tell..."

"..." No matter what he could've said at that point, it'd be extremely awkward. He just eyed her warily as she playfully messed with Vivian's hat, making her laugh a little. Once finished, she turned and began leaving, fading into the shadows before she got too far. Koops let out a relieved and took Vivian by the hand again.

"Now that that's settled, let's _really_ go home..."

* * *

All was as it should've been. Nobody ever saw Teresa or Ms. Mowz again, but Vivian sometimes felt she was watching her from afar... How afar she didn't know exactly; maybe from the living room, or along with Lillian and the rest of the Four Heroes in the good place... But wherever she was, she was watching. 

Things went on peacefully and quietly in Petalburg. Nothing ever happened there, and everybody was happy and peaceful as they could be. It was dream come true for Vivian, especially with some kin nearby. She occasionally visited her in the dark sewage of Shhwonk Fortress. It was still a little difficult to warm up to her, but since she and Vivian were so close, it'd only be a matter of time.

Koops would tell his friends and family of how something amazing happened that day, and she returned to him by order of the Crystal Stars. Not everything had been fully clarified, but did it didn't need to be; miracles rarely needed understanding.

Vivian dozed in Koops' lap at the moment, the commotion of the TV gently leading her into dreamland. His gentle stroking of her hair only added in putting her to sleep. Dinner would be ready soon, but something told her she wouldn't it make it to see what they were having. Her eyes became heavy and lax as he hit a good spot under her hat. The house was warm and comforting with the happiness and reunion of something important, something that mattered...

Love.

Lillian had been right all along; this was her happy ending. And what an ending it was.

_

* * *

_

**_The End _**

_

* * *

_**_Authoress' Notes:_**_ ...And that's all she wrote. And since it's the epilogue, there's no **"BOA2"** excerpt, but instead, little tidbits about the story you may or may not've known: _

_Koops' name is "Spook" spelled backwards._

_Bobbery's name is actually an outdated word meaning "a great disturbance or noise"._

_Kevin's name means "kind, gentle, or handsome". In some sense, he's kinda all of these._

_Teresa's name actually came from the Japanese name for Boos. Coincidentally, it also means "good harvester", which is basically a person who works hard and is greatly rewarded for their efforts._

_Aaron's name means "high mountain" or "exalted". This refers to his high rank around his hometown._

_Goombertha's name is a combination of Goomba and Bertha, which means "bright, famous". This refers to the fact she's well-known for being so smart. _

_Nero's name is Italian for "black", but also a Roman name meaning "strong, vigorous". _

_Lillian's advisor in Chapter 23 is named Kelly, which means "wood" or "holly". It's also a shade of green._

_Beldam's advisor in Chapter 24 is named Yuki, which is Japanese for "snow"._

_Koops' mother, Koopana gets her name from Koopa and Anna, which means "grace"._

_Katherine, a friend to both Koops and Koopie Koo, has a name that means "pure" or "each of the two", since she's kinda the equalizer between the younger Koopas. _


End file.
